


Scorched, Uninhabited, Rejected

by Rowdy567



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust is confused, Archangels, Asexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), But He Is Cool With Whatever, Cannibalism, Charlie Panics, Eventual Modern AU, F/F, Gore, Group Dad Alastor, Hell Breaks For Some Reason, Husk is So Done (Hazbin Hotel), M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Set A Year Or So Ahead Of Time, Slow Burn, They're Basically Already A Family, Touch-Averse Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Vaggie is So Done (Hazbin Hotel), Valentino Being a Jerk (Hazbin Hotel), awkward touching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:02:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 114,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22512934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowdy567/pseuds/Rowdy567
Summary: When Hell suddenly loses all working functions, and angels start dropping from their overhead perches to attack the underworlds population, Charlie has no idea what to do before she's suddenly face to face with a Archangel. Though something, clearly, isn't right about the air the angel assures her to keep those who are dear tucked tightly by her side as the disaster struggles to fix itself.But nothing is as it seems, Overlords' powers are dwindling and even her own is becoming strained as she struggles to protect her beloved hotel and friends from the Exterminators outside.
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 185
Kudos: 607





	1. When "Normal" Was Normal

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! This is my first Fic on AO3, so please be gentle *v*, I appreciate criticism when given, especially when it comes to Fandoms I'm relatively new to. I, absolutely, fell in love with Hazbin Hotel, and though 'Fanfic/AU' is usually not my forte, I decided to make an account here to indulge myself in something new! :D  
> So, I won't take your eyes any longer by blubbering ^^'  
> ~Enjoy

When Charlie woke, the _last_ thing she expected was her phone to be ringing violently on the nightstand, practically vibrating off the desk as it buzzed a third time. She assumed it was nothing but the regular jabber of outside scammers just _popping_ in to say 'Hello', and let it finish it's cries without so much as a noise. Vaggie, by her side, tucking snugly against her, groaned quietly at the noise but made no move to get up for the morning either. 

It seemed like the girls would have been left to their own quiet morning devices, especially after an exciting night of fun with the rest of the staff of the hotel- let me tell you playing poker _with Husk_ was downright just a bad idea waiting to happen- but they enjoyed themselves nonetheless, however when Charlie's phone began to ring again Vaggie's off putting sigh was enough to make her blonde lover to rise from her grave of sheets. Groggily slapping her hand against the desktop Charlie, rather ungracefully, managed to snag her phone before it buzzed right off the nightstand and onto the darkened red carpets. 

Her thumb clicked the button to turn the screen on, bleary eyes wincing at the sudden bright light that flashed, before she finally managed to focus in on the contact number that wailed in her ears.

**_'Mom'_ **

Charlie felt her stomach churn and her heart skip at the same time, dreadful delight playing into her system as she moved to sit up in the bed. With an unsure glance at Vaggie, who had one of her steely eyes cracked open to gaze lazily at her moving figure, Charlie finally hit the green button to answer her mother's second unexpected call.

The words she was left with, truly shook her to her core.

~

**The night before.**

~

After bidding farewell to her latest patron, Charlie reprises her usual smile. Two Hundred and Fifty Two total have already come to the 'Happy Hotel' seeking what Charlie had hoped would be redemption, but only turned into something that ran along the lines of 'A free place to settle down for the night.' Or for when the odd chance Angel Dust was ever in the lobby, 'A nice bed in the brothel.'; though it wasn't the start she wanted- it had been a start nonetheless! Two Hundred and Fifty Two total patrons that had all left with a better sense of themselves!

Though not quite redemption, seeking to find a better you was always more of an improvement than what they had come in as. 

Charlie had seen so many relationships, friendships, and partnerships form while the odd demon strolled in and out of her doors, all of them leaving as better people that had promised her to be on their best behavior and to keep in touch- and if they started to feel gloomy she'd always let them back in with open arms! There was no fighting that fact! 

Sure, she was upset to find that rising to the heavens wasn't all it's cracked up to be, (Or actually possible, much to her dismay), but she was happy to help those who needed it, and ecstatic to make friends that were just as happy to meet her as she them! _Odd right?!_

She'd even proved The Radio Demon himself wrong! _Ha-Ha! Take that Alastor~!_

Though of course, the grinning fiend had been a little off setting at first, he'd been true to his word. Helped where he could, offered support where others fell short (Blame that on Lucifer) and all together behaved as well as Charlie expected her trusty business partner to behave! He'd even gone as far as toning back his broadcasts, though they still happened- that was inevitable- Charlie understood that _something_ in her red clad partner needed the flesh of others to survive. She didn't judge, couldn't stop him, but she did persist on having him choose his meals wisely. To just- you know- _see and make sure_ that whoever he was hunting wasn't actually someone who had a chance at getting better.

That and she really didn't want him to run into any of their old patrons. That'd be _soo~hoho_ bad..

Angel got better too! He still worked for Valentino, which was upsetting. His contract with the nasty roach had yet to be vanquished, but Charlie was working as hard as she could to figure out a way to get Valentino to comply- you know.. _without Alastor going over there to end everything the sex addicted Overlord had built up for himself.._ But Angel said he didn't _really_ mind working for Val, sure he came back looking worse for wear, but hey! He's kept off the drugs and laid back on the alcohol for a good while now! Though he still indulges in drinks, he's definitely not as bad as he used to be! AND THE DRUGS! God, was Charlie happy to finally see him recovering from the absence of them! Several months of horrific withdrawals were enough to make even the Princess of Hell ready to wring the whining spider's neck!

He used to be _bad_ with the innuendos, like _really_ bad, so much that it took most of the crew to keep Alastor from smashing the arachnid's head in with the blunt end of his microphone- _as funny as it was to watch the two run in and out of the halls_ \- Charlie knew by the time Alastor's hand snatched the back of Angel's pink and white blazer, she should step in before the red walls became even more red. However now, Angel's flirting- though still there- was far more tame now that he noticed the actual discomfort it brought to the others.

Husk was getting better too! He still drank, but not to the deathly length that should have killed him _had he still been alive_. It was nice to see him indulge in the odd coffee or 'Secret' cup of milk Charlie had seen him sneak in every so often, but it was also pleasant to see him not drinking himself to the pits and back. The old tom-cat always seemed less grouchy around his preferred company now, even Angel was gifted in his lighter conversations every so often. Though if the latter ever felt frisky, he'd be shooed away quicker than a pesky fly buzzing around. Husk still to this day hates the swooning looks, but he's grown used to them and truly has taken a liking- be it mild- to Angel Dust. Though his company was shot out to the rest with far more generous extents than he'd allow Angel to have.

Nifty had settled in too, far quicker than the rest, much to Charlie's surprise. Though her rude comments from time to time had seemed to irk Vaggie off the wrong way- and most likely annoyed Angel, as he was _not_ a woman- the tiny, scuttling demon had seemingly found a way to tone down her blunt comments. Of course at times there was no way she could help it, but on the daily she was an absolute, devilish saint! Taking on the job as 'Certified House Cleaner and Cook' the sweet runt zoomed from place to place until she found her job finished. Always making the most amazing breakfast dishes to, reheating what either Charlie, Angel, or Alastor had cooked the night prior, for lunch, before completely vacating the kitchen for dinner- as to not irritate that night's cooks.

And then there was Vaggie..

Charlie could swoon at the amount of progress her lover had made throughout their time here. From snapping at every little thing anyone ever did, _aside from Charlie_ , to holding an absurd amount of patience for the particular patrons that would have grated her nerves had she not taken the time to breathe and relax. Charlie was used to seeing the other girl brandishing a closely tucked weapon whenever Alastor would tread to close, having seen every nasty scowl and snarl the other would shoot at the red clad demon far too much to be particularly bothered by it anymore, but now it was like Vaggie had up and tripped over her own feet and had been sent into an upside down universe where she actually sought the comforting pat of the grinning demon whenever a patron became too much for her to handle. She no long ripped at her hair whenever Angel Dust said anything remotely stupid- or lewd, no longer scowled at Husk whenever he drank, and no longer had the glint in her eye to punt Nifty whenever the smaller female got to pushy.

Charlie couldn't be happier, couldn't be prouder of those she cared about in this moment. To see them come so far- to watch them relax and find some form of inner peace..it was..it was truly nice to see it happen.

When the blonde realized that she had been standing and staring at the closed door for several minutes; she was strung back into the real world when Angel Dust carted himself back in from his day of work, and from the looks of it, he didn't look all to hot. His posture was slumped, exhausted, unwilling to meet the other's eyes as he quietly shut the door behind himself. Magenta orbs locked onto Charlie's, all to relaxed, form; taking a moment to appreciate her soft expression and genuinely happy smile, before he too seemed to relax as well. A sly smirk coiling along his lips, he crossed his bottom set of arms, and quirked a brow. "Did'ja miss me that much, toots?"

Charlie blinked up at him, her nose scrunching as she couldn't help but grin at his lame jab, "You're always missed when you leave, Angel." She shot back, mimicking his actions (Just with less arms) before leaning her weight on her primary leg and furrowing her eyebrows in mock seriousness, "You make a lady worry, you know."

"Oh woe is me, I come back two minutes late and I'm getting the 'It's past midnight' look."

Charlie's voice bubbled in a short laugh, but it fell soft as she carefully reached out to take one of his hands to squeeze it, easily catching the strain in his voice to stay steady, "We're still working on it, Angel." She reassured, taking the taller male back to the fight for his contract and reminding him that she hadn't forgotten about it, "I've almost got something- I'm sure of it!" At her words she could feel Angel squeeze back, though hesitant, he found himself comforted by her confidence.

Who knows, maybe she would let Alastor loose in the studios.

Shit, that'd be great to witness.

Angel watched as his friend, someone he knew he could trust with all his might and kept him grounded to reality, released his hand and gestured to the inside of the hotel. "Be our guest~" She sang, moving back as her arms lifted in a half stretch to a 'look at this place' type of motion, "Dinner will be ready soon, Al's going ham in there with some sorta seafood mesh, smells freaking amay~zing." Angel smiled as he followed after her, withholding an eye roll as she twirled elegantly when she spotted Vaggie walking into the lobby.

The gray haired woman paused, a smile working itself onto her face- as bemused as it looked- before sliding a set of keys on the bar for Husk to grab and hang on the wall. She waited for Charlie to come closer before leaning back on the pillar-work of the bar, "Nifty finished cleaning the room you asked her to do, in record time too." Vaggie assured, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind the other's ear before continuing, "She'll be down soon, just has to clean up her supplies before she does. I offered to help, she just threatened me with a feather duster." Charlie scoffed through an amused breath, knowing it to be true after experiencing the smaller demon's wrath of proper cleaning supply care. She'd nearly taken Charlie's finger off at the mention of grabbing her _favorite_ , hand stitched cloth. No, no, it wasn't rare when Nifty threatened others- though now-a-days it was with dry threats she never went through with- she still took to prodding her clawed finger in the faces of those who dared to touch her supplies. Husk _still_ had a bald spot on his flank when he scooped up an empty bottle that Nifty dropped on her way out, Angel's sharp yells were more than a reminder when she used to stick him with sewing needles in order to ward him off.

It seemed the only one that never caught the brunt of the blow was Alastor, but that was to be expected- Al was far more observant than the others, and knew when not to push his luck, and if he ever did Nifty favors him far to much to ever cause the demon harm. She seemed much more respective of her red clad companion than Husk at least. The cat was always snippy with Alastor, more so than anyone else besides Angel Dust. Must be the 'I Appreciate You, But You Piss Me Off' vibes Charlie's gotten from the elder demon, that and Alastor was always finding ways to verbally irritate his furrier friend.

"Good grief," Speaking of which- Charlie averted her gaze from Vaggie's to meet Husk's as he begrudgingly stored a bottle of booze away. "Between you two gazing 'lovingly' into each others eyes, and the smell in the kitchen, I'm starting to think lingering around Alastor's a better bet." He grumbled, his ears twitch farther back as Angel sat down at the bar with a joking grin, "Aw, what's the matta' Husky? Those two gotcha jealous?"

The tom didn't look impressed in the slightest, his face turned into his permanent scowl before he wordlessly moseyed into the kitchen.

When the kitchen door opened an aroma of enticing, though _fishy,_ smells fell upon the three outside, accompanied by a gentle jazzy tune filing in right after it. The smell turned their stomachs into growling monsters within seconds, and the music seemed to take even more of Angel’s edge off. 

If you had asked Charlie when she first met The Radio Demon that she'd actually be _craving_ some of the meals he made, she'd of called you a good for nothing liar right then and there. But after trying, and being reassured that there were no _unwanted_ meats in his food for company, she'd been head over heels for the man's Cajun style dishes.

And she was happy to see that everyone else felt that way too, Alastor really seemed to better his reputation here moreso with his cooking, even if it was funny to watch some of the other patrons pokd through the odd soup warily.

Angel's cooking was just as good too! It was always nice for the switch up between Cajun and Italian foods, before the oddball Charlie would spit out with Nifty and Vaggie. Had to keep things interesting now, right?

Vaggie's laugh brought the blonde out of her stupor, wrangling her hunger induced mind back into the room her body inhabited, before a napkin dabbed at the side of her mouth. "Just keep in mind that I will only do that for you." Vaggie snarks, though there was no harm in her words just playfulness, "Angel's on his own though- watch yourself you got a waterfall." Her voice lightens when the arachnid strains to pull himself free of the aroma's attention seeking grasp to lightly paw at his mouth. "Aw shit." The male whines through another grumble of his stomach.

Charlie grinned, but it soon lightened into a smile as Nifty zoomed past to shoot through the kitchen door, screeching a greeting as she went. It took a moment, if not a split second, for her to rush back out with the leaning tower of plates, bowls, and silverware in her arms as she made her way towards the nearest poker table, now yelling that Husk had the idea of playing poker with Alastor and herself and anyone else that was interested in learning and or playing.

Angel agreed without a second thought, wanting the chance to get his mind off the suffocating thoughts that plagued his mind. Vaggie had been iffy about it at first, not knowing if she should, even if her paperwork had been finished long ago, though after a look to her lover she was convinced when Charlie quickly realized that they once again had the hotel's peaceful silence to themselves and that she had a lot less paperwork to file through later. Eventually the two gave in to the promise of a fair and enjoyable game.

The night had continued without any hiccups, Alastor hefted the pot of what Charlie of so graciously named 'The Seafood Mesh' onto the counter for easy access, his rolled up sleeves of his red button up showing off a rather questionable, fresh set of scratches as he carefully re-buttoned the cuffs of his shirt. He was in a good mood from what the others could tell, his radio tin voice catching as he relaxed in their company. Angel Dust was pleasant to say the least, Charlie worried for his more quieter demeanor that night, but he still picked and jabbed where he could get a good snide comment in. Nifty was surprisingly good at poker, even giving Husk a run for his money while the tom paced himself on a drink Charlie hadn't seen him grab. And Vaggie was enjoying herself, which was more than enough for her lover to be content within the moment.

The only thing that could've worried- no, _should_ _have_ worried Charlie more was when Alastor's and Husk's ears suddenly pricked straight up in chilling sync, the latter played it off as a 'Possum running over his grave' as he shuddered to pass the feeling, but when Alastor's ears continued to swivel around, scanning, listening, awaiting the drop of whatever grabbed his attention, Charlie should have known that something bad was on the rise.

She watched, without much of a care, as Alastor's eyes wavered for a moment- almost as if he were surprised himself, before the red clad demon pushed his glass of bourbon away with a confused distaste. Whatever he was thinking in that moment was shoved back, dismissed for another day as he played his own cards, his hands doing a dramatic flourish as if to claim a win but in reality he was sending out his shadow to investigate the nearby areas for the reason behind the sudden tremor that shook his ears.

Who would have thought that this calm night, was something to enjoy before a hellish storm erupted from above.


	2. The Start Of Something Horrific

"..H-Hello?"

Charlie's voice came out slurred due to her previous sleeping state, the groggy undertones lacing into her usual preppy and energy filled voice. Vaggie stirred from her side, fanged teeth baring through an intense looking yawn, turning in the bed she gave the phone call what privacy she could without getting up to leave. Charlie managed a fond look for her lover, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips as her mother's voice came through the speaker in a hesitant and serious tone.

"Charlotte?"

The girl in question reared back at the odd tone her mother used, she’d never heard it before, but quickly recovered from her own surprise to answer back, "Oh, hey mom! What are you up too?" A smile took her face, her happy mood leaking into her voice. There was a sigh at the other end, possibly holding some semblance of relief as Lilith quickly got down to the reason as to why she called. "Charlie, sweetheart, I know you've just woken up- I can hear it in your voice- but you  _ need _ to listen to me. Okay?" 

Charlie made a face, this was really weird, unsettling even. Why was her mother so on edge all of a sudden? Lilith was usually, like, the calmest person to be around! Charlie's brows furrowed in concern, but she answered without trouble, "Y-Yeah mom, Yeah I'm awake, I'm listening! What's going on, has something happened?" Her stomach coiled at the thought of some crazed Overlords finally overthrowing her father's throne, or even going after her mother!

_ What if someone was going after the hotel and using Charlie's parents as hostages?! _

A soft hand came up to grasp Charlie's free hand. The touch made the panicking blonde jolt for a half second, her eyes moving from her Hellphone over to where Vaggie now sat. Her lover looked half awake, but there was a softness in her eyes that scared away any of Charlie's sudden, and quite honestly, crazy assumptions about the situation her mother was about to speak of. 

"Charlotte, I need you to keep up with what I'm about to say. There's not much time before the day comes to an end and I want you to be absolutely aware of what's about to occur."

"M-Mom what's going on? You're sounding like the world's about to end.." Charlie managed an awkward laugh when silence entered her ears.

Lilith, on the opposite side of the phone was chewing on the insides of her cheeks, with her eyes squeezing shut as her chest stung. "Sweetie..Things are about to change down here. Your father sensed it last night, as have other demons who've sent in their own complaints about the sudden tremors. I'm not sure what's going to happen to us, and I'm not sure your father knows either, but all I know is that you need to be careful.  _ Extra careful, okay? _ " Charlie listened intently as her mother inhaled a strained breath, probably in order to calm her nerves. Hesitantly, Charlie decided to intercept, "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"My girl..my dear, sweet, girl. Charlotte, the weaker of our people are starting to drop like flies, without so much as an inkling of sickness or injury." Charlie frowned, that was a little odd, sure, but that wasn't anything too threatening..right?

An ominous glow suddenly pulsed from the bedside window, shrouding Charlie and Vaggie's room with an alice blue that seemed to crawl along the walls like a wildfire. Vaggie, at Charlie's side, pushed herself up immediately her posture tense as she wrapped the odd blanket around her shoulders. With quiet, but confident, steps the gray haired girl made her way to the apple designed window frame before pulling back the red curtains in order to peer out into the world. Charlie watched her idly, not exactly listening to her mother as she strained to look out the glowing window.

The blanket dropped from Vaggie's shoulders, landing in a heap as the girl's eyes went wide, "Charlie..?"

Said blonde didn't know what to think as she pushed herself up from the bed, now fully aware of her mother's silence as she stood on two bare feet to move over to her lover. Vaggie's face was contorted in what Charlie could only decipher as fear and awe, her body pulled taunt as her hand went instinctively to the holy knife she had clipped to her thigh. Her breathing was sporadic, further proving her wary point; and when Charlie halted by her side it became clear, as bluish white light dappled the blonde's face, that something here certainly was not right..

Charlie turned to gaze out the window, eyes briefly wincing as the bright glow pierced them with it's bright shine. She focused on the surrounding area, making mental notes that the homes and businesses around the hotel had demons peering out of their doors and windows in order to look at the bright light in the sky, before lifting her gaze up to the sky. She expected the normal red color to meet her, something that was almost always complemented with black clouds of smoke, and though it held a similar darkened red color there was a bright slice of blue that cut across the sky like a nasty scar.

It pulsed brightly, as if it were alive with a beating heart, and sent up bright flares of glowing white as it grew larger with every beat.

Like moths drawn to a flame, it seemed no one could take their eyes off of it.

That was until Charlie addressed her mother in a concerned tone.

"Mom? What's going on, why is the sky doing that?"

"Charlie, please keep safe- Don't leave your hotel unless it's necessary, and  _ please don't- _ " Her phone caught static, the light buzz of the crackling sound cutting her mother off and stopping their conversation with ease. Charlie's breath caught, and suddenly her head was spinning. Her hand released her phone, letting the device fall topside where the large print of 'NO SIGNAL' glowed brightly in their dark room. A clawed hand shot out to grab the rim of the window frame, attempting to steady the blonde's shaking form as Vaggie dropped to the ground with a shaking arms beside her. 

The tremor was enough to shake the entire hotel, and when the rumbling finally passed the girls found themselves struggling to get in a proper breath. 

Charlie recovered first, inhaling needily, frantically looking around the room until her eyes landed onto Vaggie's hunched over form, "Vaggie?!" Her voice squeaked, her upper half dipping down to grasp the other girl's arm in order to help her up. Vaggie's body felt like a sack of bricks, but her blonde lover managed to get her standing by herself before she crouched back down to scoop her phone back up.

Thin eyebrows dip down at the 'NO SIGNAL' message on the front, but after thumbing past it Charlie was able to catch the time. 

**10:45 AM**

The blonde bit her lip, her hand gently squeezing Vaggie's bicep as she tugged the other girl towards their closet, "Come on, let's get ready, we've gotta see if everyone else is okay." 

~

By the time the two got back down to the lobby the clock had struck eleven with a loud tune to signal it. Charlie could feel the next tremor on the horizon, bubbling and festering as it readied it's ferocious quake for the demons in its wake. Albeit was a subtle hint of a feeling, like a faint itch in the back of her mind, there was a buzz going on and it was growing more apparent as the clock ticked by. 

The door squeaked open, alerting Husk and Nifty as they stood cautiously in the middle of the lobby, quietly speaking among themselves before they turned to look at the princess and her lover. Charlie was relieved to see them okay, even moreso when she found no traces of any true harm. "Oh thank god." She breathed, rushing over with Vaggie in tow as she halted near the two other demons.

"Do you have any idea what's going on? There's like a giant..scar- _ In the sky _ !" 

Husk's ears twitched, a look crossing his face that Charlie read as a type of disappointment, "No, we don't." He spoke, his voice surprisingly sober and awake despite the drinks he had the night prior, "We were hoping you would have answers, but given what you just said.. I'm guessin’ we're all in the dark." Nifty offered a nod, rocking back on the heels of her shoes as she raised a hand in order to offer her share of knowledge, "We were waiting for Alastor, cause maybe he'd know more, but this morning he claimed he'd be going out on a hunt. Though he sure did look off." Her large eye narrowed into something thoughtful for a moment, but it passed quickly when the tom by her side spoke up again.

"Never seen that bastard so tense before." Husk added, crossing his arms as the pulsing outside flared through the windows. His pelt, black as it was, was covered in the subtle blue glow that mixed with the red and green lights the bar and lobby provided, it lit him up like a damn Christmas tree. "This is just fuckin' weird.." His body shuddered as the building croaked, a noise that usually would be fine, but with the current situation anything could be bad.

Just like last night, his fur felt like it had been hit with a static charge. This morning he had gone through a second hell trying to smooth down the patches that stuck out more noticeably; but when the tremors came he'd be bristling all over again- cursed body. But that also brought up another good point,  _ Husk did see Alastor tense up as well _ , maybe the red clad demon hid it better from the others but Husk could see the way his ear tufts pricked alongside his own.

These damned animalistic traits may just be doing him some good after all.

He'd seen the flourish of his hands right after, in claims of his winnings, but Husk remembers- albeit being a foggy memory- Alastor’s shadow withering away to scout ahead. Husk had seen the damn thing far to many times, had seen the gesture Alastor used far too many times, to not notice how off putting it was!

_ Alastor knew something, he had to of. _

But, of course that did nothing for them right now- just proved the fact that Alastor would possibly have the answers for their questions.

Nifty stayed close to her old companion, moreso than usual seeing as the first tremor was enough to make her smaller body crumble to the ground. She trusted Husk and the girls enough to know that they'd keep her safe if she wasn't ready for the next hit. Even if it took a lot out of Husk as well, he'd been there to lend a handy claw of assistance. She wasn't sure how long it would take for these things to get cleared up, or if they actually would get fixed, but by the way Charlie addressed the matter it seemed like this wasn't reversible. 

Charlie glanced at Vaggie, taking note of the crease in the other's forehead as she stared at the doors; she was nervous, probably even afraid, it wasn't easy getting Vaggie down that quickly- she was a damn good fighter, that Charlie knew well! She was probably worried about being caught off guard like that again, being too weak to stand on her own .

Charlie wouldn't let those thoughts linger for too long. 

With wavering confidence, the blonde pulled away from her lover in order to make her way towards the glowing windows, wanting to get a better look at whatever this thing was before she lost her chance.

It had grown, nearly twice as large as before, still pulsing with a steady beat, but the flares of light had started to slow down. Taking to hovering there in the sky as if waiting for something to happen in order to start moving once more. Charlie's eyes narrowed, her mind curiously focusing on the lights doting the sky around the scar. They could have been assumed to be stars, but that wasn't right- couldn't be right at that. Not fifteen minutes ago they were ascending from the scar- and if they  _ were _ stars the scar would have to be moving itself..

Oh wait-  _ what if it was?! _

Charlie squinted hard, trying her best to see any indications that the pulsing trail would be moving itself.

But, as usual, her answer was nothing but a blank line.

Of course it was.

The lack of clues wretched a sigh out of the blonde, pulling her back into the hotel as the light behind her dimmed once more in it's beat. It took ten seconds between each pulse, as far as Charlie had counted- but that had been back up in her room..

_ Were they getting faster? _

Charlie moved her gaze from the floor to meet it with Vaggie's concerned orbs, though they were tightened with a readiness for a fight, there was still a softness in there to only the princess could catch in this moment. Her lover's form was dappled in the eerie blue light, before it dimmed back into the red and green lights of the bar. The other girl's frown lightened, but only by a small amount as Charlie offered some sort of comfort to her lover, "I'm..I'm sure it'll be okay." Her attention breaking off towards the other two demons in order to lighten the mood, their forms once more being coated in bluish white before it dimmed again.

"We just have to..to wait it out- I'm sure everything will be okay! Sure Alastor’s not here, but hey at least we’re- " Her eyes suddenly darkened in realization,”..all to-.. her heart dropping like a rock into her stomach as she noticed a second head missing from her staff.”..-gether..”

She pointed a finger, moving it from each person in attempts to confirm that her heart ‘sink-age’ was justified, and when she came up two short the girl could feel the butterflies in her stomach being to maul her insides.

Angel Dust was missing.

Not here.

Not safe.

Vaggie seemed to notice in the moment too, and as she looked over the bar top to peer in- just in case he crashed there (Which, let's face it, he has on rougher nights)- but turned up empty handed with a dread filled expression that quickly pointed towards Husk and Nifty. Charlie leaned forward, straining to look at the lobby’s sitting area in hopes that her arachnid friend would be lounging out across one of the loveseats.

But her hope diminished when all she found were empty seats.

" _ Where's Angel?" _

Her question was sharp, worry filled, and all too serious for the usually preppy and go happy royal. It hit like a fucking truck as Vaggie readied herself to go upstairs to fetch him if the other’s confirmed that he was still in the hotel, but she never got that far.

_ No~ Because that’d be too easy! _

It dawned on Nifty first, her tiny hands slapping against her mouth as she quickly snapped her head up towards the tom looming beside her, "It's one of his working days! Husk did you see him leave?"

And..then it dawned on Husk..

Amber eyes blinked for a second before he tensed in realization, an irritated groan escaping his mouth as he rubbed his face , "..Shit.." The tom cursed under his breath, now visibly straining to not look down to meet Nifty's burning stare, "The sky wasn't pulsing this mornin', how the hell was I suppos'd to know this shit was gonna happen?!" He demanded, his tail fluffing out indignantly as he defended himself against the smaller demon.

Charlie opened her mouth to defuse the argument, even if it was mild, but when she realized that she hadn’t seen the pulse of blue for the longest time she seemed to freeze consciously. Turning back to the door Charlie didn’t even have the chance to scream as two shadowy figures crashed through the windows. 

Vaggie was on them in a second, immediately recognizing the telltale arch of the mechanical wings the gray haired woman wasted no time in summoning a throwing knife to send towards one of those grinning bastard’s faces.

It landed,  _ oh it landed well too _ \- straight between the eyes in fact!

But the only thing it seemed to do was hinder the Executioner dazed for a few patronizing seconds. Vaggie straightened from her throwing stance, her stomach curling as the being lifted a clawed hand to pry the holy knife from it’s face before it angled it’s metal face towards her frozen form. 

Vaggie took a cautious pace back, her eyes blowing wide as the two Executioners suddenly turned their attention, from the others, towards her and her alone.

“Well shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH I really wanted this to be over 3,000 words- but 2,800 will have to do for now! I'll try to update as frequently as I can but no promises on the daily stuff :~;


	3. A Thousand To One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This author is a baby, that doesn't want to taint this world, but there will be 'mild' sexual content in this one that I'll try to tone myself down for! Fair warning :D Hope you enjoy~!

Vaggie had little time to react as a holy spear was chucked her way, it missed by a wide berth but was obviously aimed to force her away from the stairway. The Executioner on the right grinned widely, but made no move to start forward. It watched Vaggie, metal mask blank and void of expressing emotions despite the toothy smile welded into it's face; it stood straight, looming over the demons in the area, it's sharpened wings splaying out like some type of damn curtain to the outside world, solidifying the fact that Vaggie couldn't escape through the front and that her friends couldn't either. 

It wouldn't let them through, not without a fight that she was bound to lose alone.

While the first Executioner grinned with lifeless interest, more enthused with creating a blockage, the second one was already back up and moving from the holy knife that had halted it's attacks in the first place. The one on the left dropped Vaggie's weapon on the ground with little care, the hole in it's forehead now leaking a black goo as it moved forward with creaking gears. It said nothing, whether it had nothing to say, decided not to speak, or couldn't entirely, it was wordlessly making its way towards Vaggie without a second glance to the other demons in the room.

That thankfully worked in the darker side's favor. 

Charlie's hands were already glowing with a protective rage, the whites of her eyes losing their gentleness when being replaced by those haunting shades of glowing red. Husk had his wings splayed, but that was more of a protection for Nifty who was hidden behind the tom, his claws were angled and at the ready and his face looked like it was on the verge of creating a snarl but he stayed on his spot- mostly because, he too, noticed Charlie's upcoming rage.

Vaggie knew what to do. All she needed was a few seconds- long enough for her partner to charge up enough hellfire.

She prayed she could last that long; the winged fiend in front of her was closing in quickly, it's grey claws extending out like a child's hand grabbing out for a favorite toy.

Heart pounding in her chest, Vaggie's hand snatches out to rip the holy spear from it's spot in the wall; uncaring if it created an ugly hole, she quickly aimed it at the Executioner that was slowly bounding closer to her pinned form. Her attacker paused shortly, not expecting the retaliation, it's grin turning upside-down in an overly exaggerated frown; it's head tilted, curled horns turning with it, as it's body stayed undeniably still in the moment.

"C'mon you featherless bastard-" The grey haired woman snarls, taking it's hesitation with a sharp but very needed breath, before reaching out to reclaim what confidence she may have lost in the first few seconds of the fight, "-¡No tengo miedo de ti! (I am not afraid of you!)"

Vaggie could see a spark of red from the side of the room, but paid not heed to it as she aimed the spear up at the larger beast. Unable to stop herself from withering back as it's grin returned, with a giddy bounce, at the chance of having prey that fought back. 

The Executioner lunged forward, claws out and ready to rip the girl to shreds.

But before it could even land, a ball of fire crashed against its side; a metallic screech ripped from its throat, blaring through it's unmoving maw. It's claws sunk into the hotel's floorboards, wings extending out at lightning speed, back arching in agony, as it wailed loudly. Vaggie couldn't help the relief that befell her face as she saw the metal bastard start to melt under her lover's hellfire. Quietly relishing in the way it suffered.

The angel at the door faltered, wings dropping at the sight of it's partner going down so easily. It's blue eyes blinked, it's grin cascading down into a frown that mimicked the one's on the floor. It seemed to chew on it's next course of action, strained between helping it's brother and retreating to gather others, and while it did so it couldn't help but take a step back as Charlie turned her attention onto it.

Charlie's horns were extended out into their red splotched tips, her eyes an eerie red that pinned the Executioner in its place, while her hand ignited itself with her powers.

_That seemed to tip the bastard into fleeing._

The sight of the princess in that state sent the metal angel back towards the door with a greater sense of speed than what it used to get into the hotel, Vaggie almost grinned as it ran, proud to see the tables had been turned.

However when something sharp and black pierced the fleeing Executioner's skull, the gray haired woman couldn't help but allow the smug look that crossed her face.

_Good fucking riddance._

The doors to the hotel were thrown open, a demon dressed in a red classy suit waltzed in and passed the now slumped body of the Executioner angel.

Without so much as a look at the limp metal body, hanging off of the tendril pierced into its forehead, the red clad demon curiously tilted his head at the scene before him. His grin was curled into a sadistic grin, one that whittled slightly at the confirmation that those in the hotel were relatively unharmed by the sudden attack. Charlie's surge of power diminished at the sight of the elder demon, her expression falling from rage filled to relieved in a split second. She quickly turned to Vaggie, looking her lover over, inspecting the grey haired girl for injury, only to get a weak thumbs up to reassure her pounding heart.

Moving back to the newcomer, Alastor’s scent was mixed with the heavy indication of blood, blood that was tainted with something that didn't quite smell like it came from a demon. Charlie was quick to figure out that he'd probably been entertaining himself on the way back by killing what Executioners he could get his hands on. However, there was something that grabbed the blonde's attention.

_Alastor was limping._

As subtle as the motions were, his left leg did give every so often when he put weight on it. 

Charlie scanned down the taller demon's body, noting his bloody pants leg before pointing at it with a demanding look.

Alastor's smiled tightened, "Nothing but a scratch, my dear!" He reassured, "Those fellows outside wanted to tussle, so I gave them one they won't soon forget!" His voice dropped slightly, the radio static changing, as the male stepped gingerly towards the group, unable to stop himself from eyeballing the melted pile of metal on the floor with sick amusement. Charlie's hand was out as he strode past, careful just in case his leg gave out completely- she could see the damage now that he was closer and it did not look good.

Even if Alastor played it off like one of his catchy tunes, that wound was of a holy weapon- something that burned like hellfire when entering a demon's flesh and wouldn't heal properly- or quickly at that! It was deep, probably caught the bone in his shin, and had been sliced upwards towards his knee. The blonde's brows furrowed with worry, but when a swift snap resounded in her ears Alastor's pants had been sewn over within the second, covering the gnarled looking wound and shielding it from their views. Charlie glanced up at his face, locking eyes with the red clad demon whose grin merely strained farther upwards.

_Decency!_

"Al, what's going on out there? The extermination isn't for another seventy days!" Vaggie demands, stepping closer now that the danger was subdued for now. She gave his leg a glance, but decided not to comment on it for now.

Alastor's ears swiveled towards Vaggie, his body losing tension as the attention swerved from his wound, "From what I can tell, the angels are falling!"

"..Say what now?" Charlie intercepted, with a confused tilt of her head.

The red clad demon intertwined his hands against the small of his back, pondering on how to reword this experience in order for it to make logical sense.

But nothing came to mind other than what he said before, "It is as I said, my dear, the break in the sky is spitting angels out of heaven. I'm not sure exactly how that's possible, but it's happening as we speak. Hell is being overrun by angels, and demons are being slaughtered left and right!" A red claw tapped the demon's chin as he added in a more quiet tone, "Had circumstances been different, I would be watching the carnage _enthusiastically_! But even I am unsure as to how this is supposed to be taken." 

Charlie felt her blood run cold, her head spinning, "But..but _why_ is this happening?!" She demands, not particularly towards the Radio Demon. Alastor blinked, a semblance of pity in his gaze as he offered what he could, "I wish I knew, my dear, I truly wish I did."

_Well that did good to lighten the mood.._

Vaggie chewed on the inside of her cheek, steely eyes narrowing at the ground as Charlie went quiet. A sense of dread clouded over the group, forcing them into silence as Alastor moved his gaze back to the door. The red demon kept himself alert, sensitive ears catching faint screams of the unlucky demons getting caught by the Executioners patrolling the main roads. He watched as his shadow slunk back in, looking far more faded then before as it settled into it's master's shape. 

Husk noticed the tired figure as it settled on the floor, matching it's master's stance, surprised that the thing looked as exhausted as it did. Amber eyes lift from the floor in front of Alastor to settle on the side of the other male's face, "What're we supposed to do now? Wait here until those metal assholes come back?" The tom spat, "Cause I'm not looking for a fight, Alastor, and I'm sure the girls don't wanna 'nother run in with those things."

Nifty shook her head in agreement, furthering Husk's point by a substantial step.

Red and black ears flicker towards Husk's voice, and Alastor's eyes quickly followed as he listened to his friend speak his mind. Only when the other male finished his piece did Alastor respond, making sure to do so in a level and calm voice in order to help the other's settle down. "I suppose we seal the hotel, I'm sure between Charlie and myself we can make a strong enough bind to keep them out for a while."

"What about Angel?" Vaggie spoke up, not yet forgetting about their last group member who was away on work duty. She hoped the arachnid wasn't in any immediate danger. But Alastor seemed confused by the grey woman's words, his red on red eyes narrowing slightly as his gaze swept over the room, "What of Angel? Is he not present?"

"He's at the studio." Charlie revealed, her nerves returning with sickly intentions. God, she prayed Angel was okay..

Alastor went rigid at that, and suddenly his shadow was more lively than ever. With a movement of his hand the void made creature was skittering off as quickly as it could manage while also being undetected by the Executioners that flew overhead. Charlie watched as the red clad demon dismissed his shadow, watched as his form went taut at her words, and when she questioned Alastor on his actions his response nearly had her dropping dead right then and there.

"I passed the studio on my way back. It was getting overrun by those things."

  
  
  
  


~~

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Angel couldn't remember much throughout that morning, at least nothing from before when he woke up underneath the corpse of his boss. The back of his head hurt like hell, and the dent on the wall behind him could be to blame for his aching pain and lack of memory, but that didn't help with _why_ he was stuck under Valentino's limp weight while also looking like he had been tossed across the room like some sort of unwanted doll.

He didn't panic much for Valentino's fate, surely his boss would reform himself soon, but when he noticed the actual amount of blood that stained the dark pink printed wallpaper, Angel did pause for a longer moment to take it in and let the situation simmer. 

A scowl took the spider's face, the clawed hand that went up to gingerly feel around the sore area of his skull falling down to Valentino's shoulder's in order to shove the roach off of his body. As Angel did this he couldn't help but notice the shattered windows of the office, the bodies of the girl's Val always kept close in case he wanted some fun were scattered along the way and they were dropped there without an ounce of care. 

Some had tried to get out of the room, Angel could tell that by the way most of the bodies were crowded around the door. Obviously few, if any, made it past the threshold.

Angel hissed as he stood from the ground, his brain feeling like mush as he reached out to put his hand on the wall in order to steady himself. " _Ooo shit_ , the hell did I get myself in ta?" He slurred, leaning his weight against the wall as he took in more of the room- er..rather what was _outside_ of the studio.

Magenta eyes narrowed as fast figures of white and grey streaked past the broken glass, zooming by the studios in mere moments. _That's new_ , Angel blinked, wondering what the blurs of colors were as he took a few hesitant steps towards the destroyed office windows. 

Before he could peer over into the world below, a loud bang slammed against the office door. Rattling the walls as a series of whimpers and groans leaked into Angel's ears; the noise was enough to make him jump, blaming his incompetent mind for not reassuring him with his memories as he leaned back towards the door and away from the window.

_Completely_ missing the figure that cascaded down to land on a ledge just outside the shattered window.

The door knob jingled loudly, whoever being on the other side struggling to get in as they continuously clicked the knob back and forth- possibly failing to notice that it was locked, but still- 

Angel craned to look over at it, even daring a step as the knob began to twist faster. There was an impulse to open it, _of course there fucking was_ , but when loud banging and agonized wails came from the other side the damn feeling had been shat out and tossed out the broken windows.

_Yeah that's a big ol' nope, for me._

Angel let the door be for now, trying his hardest to ignore the banging- assuming someone was having _'too much fun'_ \- as he stepped back to the window, wanting to see what horrors Hell had to offer this odd day. Maybe what happened in here was a new kink Valentino was trying out, something his pimp decided to let his entire staff indulge in. Angel dismissed as he stepped over another body, sure there had been blood involved before, especially in his line of this type work, but not to this degree.

If Valentino was getting into a murder kink.. Angel tugged at his collar, _oh boy was he in for a rough time.._

His easy expression fell almost immediately as sharpened wings opened up to catch his attention.

Angel watched as the Executioner angel grinned viciously at him, holy spear spinning in it's clawed digits as it reveled in the scene of having another porn star to maul and maim.

_Oh..Yeah..._

_That's what happened._

Hell was under attack- _heh_..how could that slip Angel's mind?

  
  


Angel remembered in the moment, him being called up to Valentino's office after a slow morning. He remembered his boss ordering one of his women to close the door behind him and lock it, the stench of sex that befell his nose as soon as he halted in front of the roach lounging back on his plush couches while one of the other girl's sat back on his lap with her head back in bliss. He remembered the iron grip that clung around his forearm, the same one that yanked him down to Valentino's level against the couch while the roach snapped at the woman to get off of him.

Valentino had to of been in a bad mood if he wanted Angel specifically, _and alone._

The girls in the room had dispersed, taking their places amongst the walls while the one shoved off of Valentino's lap scurried off to find her finish with one of the other women without any protest.

Angel recalled the pain in his arm being from the way Valentino jerked him up from his crouched position, his chest and stomach aching from the way he was shoved against the desk as his boss hovered over his backside, whispering things Angel didn't even try to listen too as the arachnid tried to make himself as comfortable as possible in order to endure Valentino's mood.

And then the windows shattered, and the next thing Angel knew he was being tossed across the room with Valentino in tow.

Now here he stood, completely exposed as one of those metal fuckers stepped closer, possibly thinking that he was frozen in terror. Angel felt his third pair of hands grip the Thompsons he hand stashed away for safekeeping, his back going ramrod straight as he took a step back. His guns weren't going to do shit against this thing, but maybe they would keep it at bay long enough for him to get out the door. His clawed fingers curled around the triggers, a defiant look working it's way up to meet the piercing blue orbs that locked onto his lithe form.

The metal fiend seemed amused by his expression, it's grin widening, a low mechanical hum voicing itself from the Executioner as it's arm, the one with the spear, cocked back and aimed for Angel's midsection.

Angel took his chance, manifesting his two Tommy guns and unloading both full clips into the metal bastards head and chest until it was staggering back towards the window to escape the pellets. Angel forced himself to move towards the door, his second pair of arms clicking the door unlocked before swinging it open with a loud crash. He allowed his weapons to disappear as his third pair of arms retracted back inside his torso. He quickly dipped into the blood coated hallway in order to escape the now screeching Executioner, barely dodging the door as it swung back to close against it’s frame.

Even more bodies were seen as Angel ran, some of those he knew and others basically a mesh of innards and clothes on the floor. He withheld the urge to heave as a hand caught his ankle, tripping him up and sending him on his hands and knees against the viscera and blood stained floorboards. Magenta eyes shot back to the thin hand gripping his leg, a smaller demon had somehow survived and was looking at him despite the holy knife lodged into their abdomen.

"You gotta help me man- _you gotta fuckin' help me, please_!"

The door Angel Dust escaped from swung back open with a large bang, nearly breaking off the hinges, as the Executioner shoved it's way through. Angel felt his heart leap into his throat as the metal beast slammed against the wall parallel to the door, the bullets denting it's frame clattering to the ground as it's body shuddered. It's blue eyes zoned in on Angel, a grin reforming on its face as it's wings shot up to rip against the walls.

Angel barely had time to register that it was barreling his way until the damned thing was on top of him. It's metal foot crushed the chest of the demon that was found alive, it's body lurching forward as Angel leaned his head as far back as he could, keeping his eyes pinned on the metal angel above him as it's spear reformed to aim jestingly above his neck.

Realization consumed the spider's mind, his body's natural instincts being to accept the angel pinning him down as he inadvertently gave up. He wanted to scream, to thrash, _to fucking do something_ _other than just lay there and let whatever was going to happen, to happen._ But no matter how much he inwardly wailed at himself to move, his body was on autopilot.

So he moved his eyes away from the angel's face, embracing his second death with one last ' _Fuck you_ ' to his attacker, his gaze catching something black skittering past, but his brain was too muddled to even care at this point. He wouldn't give this metal asshole the satisfaction of his reaction watching the spear slam into his throat- _he refused to give it that_.

He waited, and waited...and waited.

Until something black dripped onto his chest fluff, staining the already red splotched fur. 

Magenta eyes refocus on the Executioner hovering over him, surprised to see it's face curled into a frown even moreso as a black tendril stuck out from the middle of it's chest. Angel blinked as a heavy metallic groan left the creature above him. 

He took the chance to scramble away, using his long legs to kick himself out from underneath the angel. His back met the wall, but thankfully he was a good few feet away; Angel watched as the tendril forced its way through the chest, curling around the neck of metal fiend, before wrapping around it's head and _squeezing_ until the body gave away and began to cave in on itself.

Metal screeched in Angel's ears, but he couldn't help but feel at ease as the Executioner was killed. Mismatched eyes watched as the tendril tossed the body away before they lifted up to meet with the red on red orbs of Alastor. The telltale grin of the cannibalistic, deer, demon was unmistakable as it was creepy and stomach curling, but Angel couldn't help but feel relieved as a gloved hand came down to offer aid.

"Are you alright, my dear?"


	4. Preparations For The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the Kudos and the kind comments! It's definitely refreshing to get some type of feedback on my stories, you've made my week so far so thank you <3~
> 
> Hope you enjoy what I have in store!

_ "Are you alright, my dear?" _

Red on red eyes were pinned to Angel's sat form, watching him closely, as the spider gawked at gloved appendage offered in aid. Magenta eyes flickered up to the glowing red figure looming over him, then towards the dead bodies littering the lobby- especially the one he crawled on top of to get away from the Executioner- before they moved to the metal bastard who laid unmoving in a puddle of black and red blood- looking like a tin can Alastor decided to crush underneath his foot. 

It became apparent, to Alastor at least, that Angel had yet to stop breathing heavily- whether the spider demon was trying to get a hold on his breath entirely, or if the situation was actually starting to sink in-  _ well that was something Alastor couldn't quite pick out by himself. _

He was good at creating carnage!..Not at healing the aftermath of one.

Going back to the question asked; Angel had no clue if he was okay,  _ no fucking clue whatsoever  _ . The studio was in shambles- his coworkers slaughtered like swine- his boss was dead..-  _ Okay, so, maybe that part wasn't so bad, but still  _ \-  _ there were fucking angels in Hell now?!  _ And now Alastor had the gall to just- say that?! After everything that was just shoved into the Spider's brain!?

That deer bastard just had to swoop in at the last second?! Just to give Angel a heart attack, right?! He had been a hair length shy of having a spear embedded into him!

_ And that was not to be taken sexually, damn it! _

Angel couldn't tell if he wanted to be scared, thankful, or downright pissed off!

Magenta eyes moved back to Alastor, noting the blood that stained his already red suit, and the way he leaned on his right leg moreso than his left. His left hand had his microphone in it, claws tightly coiling around the object as it seemingly helped his balance while he leaned over. Angel was surprised he caught this little slip up, especially given the situation, but he couldn't help himself- right now the only thing keeping him grounded was trying to process this shit one problem at a time, and the blood coating his red clad compadre was part of settling his brain on the carnage surrounding him.

The male above him was patient, but even so, Alastor was growing tired of watching Angel have a mental crisis while his wound snarled it's protest viciously to his stance. He could feel new trails of his own gore sliding down his leg, but in the moment he decided not to make a scene of it- he would do that at the hotel, in the comfort of his own room and in the company of his shadow who would, undoubtedly, mock him for his pain.

Static drew Angel’s gaze back up to the Radio Demon, who still-  _ bless his undead heart-  _ had his hand extended out to assist his taller comrade in standing, though there was a look in his red eyes that told Angel without words that if he kept staring slack jawed that the hand would no longer be there in the next few moments. Swallowing thickly, Angel lifted a gloved hand to take Alastor's extended one, and with surprising ease the red demon pulled him up onto shaking legs.

Red and black ears swivel for a moment, and Angel couldn't help but notice the mesh of black sliding down the wall in order to crawl closer. Alastor's shadow was all too alert as it's master inspected the room with a mixture of interest and discomfort. The blood was a yes in his book, a big yes in fact. The nudity of the bodies present was a big no, a real downer to his already strained mood.

"As..pleasant as this meeting was- I do think we can find better places to converse." Alastor returned his attention to Angel, red eyes watching as the spider demon wavered on his feet for a moment before he straightened up. "Ya, it's prolly best that we get outta here." Angel's eyes snapped towards the window as Alastor and his shadow went rigid, they held their breaths as a couple of shadowed figures scraped past the blood splattered glass, some going at super speeds while others took the time to peer inside.

Thankfully, the bloodshed inside had covered most of the windows which kept the demons inside safe for the time being.

Alastor relaxed slightly, before he shooed his shadow to flee back to the hotel in order for him to teleport away, though his ears stayed locked in the direction of the windows. Even as he turned his head back to Angel, his ears were angled left, watching - _ er..listening  _ \- when his eyes watched a different entrance. Angel ran a hand through his hair, uncaring on the blood that he coated the white bangs with, far too bothered with his pounding heart and scattered thoughts to really give a shit about his appearance.

_ Why had he been the only survivor? Weren't Executioner's supposed to be thorough with their breech and clears? Surely it saw him underneath Valentino when they busted through the glass.  _ Mismatched eyes soften, glued to the ground as Angel let loose a heavy breath,  _ Maybe it thought it killed him when it killed Val.. but still..wouldn't it have checked? _

"Angel." Part of him was aware of Alastor's voice dulling down with the garbled mesh of lowly tuned static. Something that Angel usually heard when the Radio demon was trying to whisper.

_ And those girls, shit, those poor girls..they didn't even get a chance! No one else in the studio did! Why in the world were there angels down in Hell?! _

"Angel.." Angel's ears popped with static as the room suddenly grew darker.

_ Ain't nobody, but Val, do any real harm while in here. Sure the drugs were bad, and the acted out scenes of rough foreplay and sex weren’t all that good at times but it was scripted and most importantly not real! And, yeah, some of the goons trying to get on Valentino's good side were assholes but surely they didn't deserve these types of deaths- Hell or not, there were such things as mercy kills for those who've tried to do a little better! _

"Angel!" 

Magenta eyes snapped onto Alastor's taut form, just as the red demon jerked forward to grip his arm. Three pairs of metal wings framed Alastor's figure, arching up as they blocked off the exits and windows. However there was a feathered pair, that dwarfed the others' with surprising ease, just behind the red clad demon that nearly encircled them as they stretched inside the lobby. As spears and knives appeared to launch themselves at the two surviving demons, Angel Dust felt claws dig into his arm as Alastor shoved him back.

Before he even had time to register that a spear was speeding right for them, Alastor's fingers snapped and they were gone in a poof of black smoke. 

The sharp slice of the spear colliding with  _ something  _ in the background was all Angel needed to hear before a new panic settled in.

* * *

Vaggie was by Charlie's side in an instant as soon those dreaded words left Alastor's mouth.

" _ I passed the studio on the way back. It was getting overrun by those things." _

Charlie didn't know what to do as she watched her sponsor, her friend, as he sent his shadow away into the outside world. Wincing as it staggered at the door for a moment, it's shadowed head craning upwards to watch as the figures above flew by before departing with newfound speed. She not only worried for Angel's well being, but for Alastor's as well. She could tell that it was taking up a lot of the male's energy to stay standing properly, but going to the middle of all of this terror while also being injured enough for him to be visibly sluggish. Charlie didn't want him to go, not alone at least, but before the words could leave her mouth Alastor was turning on his heels to address herself and the others.

"I'll be there and back as quickly as I can." He assured, his radio tin voice diminishing into near nothing, "Once my shadow scours the Studio and finds Angel I'll retrieve him and come back."

Husk decided to voice what everyone else, he assumed, would be thinking, "Al, what if you find Angel and he's already-"

"He'll find him!" Charlie interjects, her voice on the verge of breaking, her tone surprising everyone- even herself. "Even if he's nothing but a cold body, Al will find him and bring him back." Dark eyes move to lock with Alastor's red orbs, watching as the male's red and black ears move towards her, always attentive. "You have to Alastor, please- I'd never forgive myself if he died in that _ asshole's territory  _ ."

Alastor's grin tightened, noting the seriousness of his partner's tone as his shadow's distant chittering resounded in his ears, it was confirming that Angel was still alive. That brought him some relief at least. 

With a nod, a loud snap echoed through the lobby and Alastor was no longer standing with the group.

When the spoke dissipated Charlie quickly pawed at her eyes with the heel of her hands, ushering the tears bubbling up away, as she straightened up to collect her thoughts.  _ They'd be fine, they'd be fine!  _ Alastor was going to find Angel Dust, and get them both out safely!

_ But what if they didn't? _

W-What if Alastor comes back and Angel's dead? What if Alastor comes back with even more injuries than before?.. What if Alastor doesn't come back at all?

A hand gripped her forearm, and for the second time today Charlie found herself being reeled back into reality by her grey haired lover. Steelish eyes watched the blonde's every move, calculating, but not opting to do much more than watch as Charlie found herself slumping towards the other girl, desperate for the comfort she couldn't dish out to herself. Vaggie sighed, something strained but not unwilling, as she slipped her thin arms around the taller girl. Charlie's head landed on Vaggie's shoulder, a heavy breath letting loose as her body molded against the other with ease. She could feel Vaggie's forehead resting against her own shoulder, the other's warm breath enough to keep her mind focused on something else as they quietly embraced.

The two stayed like that for a while, Vaggie only staying there as long as Charlie needed her to and the latter basically sucking up what comfort her lover could provide in the moment. It felt like forever until the blonde slowly slunk away from Vaggie's arms, now looking more like herself as she looked towards the shattered windows towards the front. "Okay..We'll need to section off a place for ourselves, the smaller the area the more likely the seal will hold. Especially if it's for a longer amount of time." She starts, eyeing the bar, the lobby and the kitchen. Those three would be enough, but Charlie knew everyone would sooner claw their own eyes out then share a sleeping space.

Then again, they've never had to deal with anything like this- so it may just work out. 

"The downstairs will be our best bet, ground floor, more than one exit, and we have everything at our disposal. Food, water," Her finger went from the kitchen, to the bar, and then to the sitting area, "A place to sleep- and while Alastor and I use our powers it won't be so taxing on us to just seal the bottom floor." 

Husk dipped his head in agreement, having already claimed the back of the bar as a second bed after many nights of too many drinks. 

Nifty seemed more reluctant, but perked up quickly, she knew that now wasn't the time to be picky about living situations- er..unliving situations?- Undead situations?-

Vaggie nodded and quickly started her way towards the stairs to go back to her shared room, "I'll go grab what we need, I'll also grab your Hellphone charger while I'm up there-" Charlie's brow furrowed, halting the grey haired woman as she mentioned the stubborn device "It's not working- it wouldn't be worth it."

Vaggie only shrugged, already on the second floor and opening the nearest door which happened to be their room, "Maybe it'll come back on, you never know. Plus we still have power, so we might as well use that to our advantage." With that she disappeared into the room. Leaving Charlie to move towards the sitting area to make sure they had enough resting places, a once over across the chairs was enough to tell her otherwise. Using a small portion of her powers Charlie's fingers clicked together as she summoned a few other couches and loveseats that were around the hotel's upper floors. Ones that would hopefully be comfortable.

She turned to watch as Husk and Nifty scoured the bar and kitchen, taking inventory of what they had and what they didn't. They came back up with satisfied expressions, ones that relieved the princess greatly as she watched Nifty bounce over to the bar to take a seat. Charlie decided to make her way over, not missing the way Husk disappeared behind the bar with his tail curling up and over his back. "We'll need a back up plan in case those metal freaks break through your seal- or if we get attacked before Al gets back." Husk's muffled voice graced Charlie's ears as the sound of something being pulled against the floor irked her to look over the bar.

"What did you have in mind? Surely Alastor and I can manage."

Nifty answered for her furry friend, a gentleness in her single eyes that looked foreign, "Just in case." She assured, "We probably won't need it." She set a brief stare on the male bent over, a sternness in it that left as soon as Husk straightened up with an armful of weapons. Most of them consisted of guns- rifles, outdated pistols, and a shotgun that Husk tucked closer to himself- He looked proud of himself as he removed the cloth hiding his stash of guns, revealing the glowing brand that a majority of them bore.

"Holy weapons?" Charlie gawked, a hand reaching out to slide against one of the Cross brands, "How the- how did you get these?"

Husk smirked, and for once he seemed to actually be amused as he placed a case of bullets- ones that were also glowing a ominous blue- onto the counter, "Where the hell do you think? I gambled and got them off of some snobby assholes."

He slid a handgun to Nifty, who took it with a sharp grin, “It’s been a while, my devilish friend~” Her voice was giddy as she inspected the smaller weapon, but her love for the gun diminished as she hopped off the bar stool in order to zip upstairs, “I’ll go get our stuff!”

Husk’s ears went up at her voice, he looked like he wanted to protest but by the time he opened his mouth Nifty was long gone. Closing his mouth, the tom rolled his eyes and continued organizing the weapons laid out. Keeping up light conversation with Charlie as he did.

"You know how to use one?" He questioned, jabbing a claw towards the pistol Nifty had discarded before she ran upstairs. Charlie nodded, "I had a little training- Most of its self taught, or I picked it up from someone else, but I know enough. At least how to aim and shoot."

"Good enough." Husk dismissed, pushing another handgun her way, along with a holster if she wished to have it, "Keep it on your person, those are easier to hide. Maybe I'll show you how to work the rifles when we're safer." He offered with a shrug, his clawed fingers doing surprisingly well as he loaded cartridge after cartridge. Then again, this was Husk- and he always had some type of trick up his sleeve.

Vaggie reappeared from their shared room, toting an arm full of things as she carefully dropped half of the stack down into the lounge area before heading towards the bathroom to set the rest away. "I saw Nifty run by, she said she'd grab some more blankets from storage before she got back." The grey haired girl explained, her voice muffling as she left the room for a brief moment. "I think we're ready for the most part, Alastor and Angel are gonna have to grab their own things before we seal the place."

"Mm." Charlie hummed in agreement, grabbing the pistol Husk gifted her and tucking it into the back of her pants. (But not before clicking the safety on first, mind your buttcheeks when handling guns kiddies) Her eyes caught the blur of white as Nifty charged back in with a armful of Husk's, and her own, things. "I brought my own stash of ammo I forgot to give back!" She shouts, dropping her things before zipping past the bar at breakneck speed. Husk barely had time to blink as a new box of ammo appeared in front of him before Nifty was on the near opposite side of the room trying to set the lounge up as a 'proper' sleeping space.

Charlie smiled fondly at the smaller demon, appreciating her energy as she steered Vaggie and herself over to help with their own mess.

Well, she was.

Until her body suddenly felt heavy.

The sound of static crackled, a newfound electricity in the air, as the hairs along her neck rose alongside the feeling of dread that suddenly coiled in her stomach. Charlie was jerked back by Vaggie as the middle of the lobby suddenly pulsed with a surge of power, the gray haired woman's steely eyes were locked onto the floorboards as smoke began to trail upwards.

That's when the shriek of feedback cried out, forcing those in the room to clap their hands over their ears as white noise screamed relentlessly. The smoke turned into a cloud, swirling upwards as it jerked back and forth with the strain of  _ visible  _ static that occupied the middle of the lobby. Charlie's heart skipped when Angel fell out of the smoke, flailing three arms as he tumbled backwards. Angel's top right arm was gripped viciously by a red hand, while his chest was pushed backwards by another, forcing their bodies to fall left, as Alastor appeared next from the smoke.

Like slow motion had its hold on them, Alastor's leg gave out just in time for him to drop right after Angel.

_ Barely missing the holy spear that had aimed itself for the Radio Demon's head. _

Alastor dropped over Angel's legs, catching himself before he actually hit the spider, his shoulders shuddered as he ordered the screeching noise around them to tone down to a bearable hum before he exhaled sharply. Angel shifted from underneath him, and for a second Alastor didn't want to move- only because he wasn't sure if he could get himself up-

His eyes glanced up to catch the landing spot of the spear, noting that it hit near the bar and that Husk looked like a burnt cotton ball with how puffed out he was. But nothing seemed too terrible, even if Angel's blood splattered face was staring at him in a worried fashion.

"Alastor! Angel!" Charlie exclaims, rushing forward to help the two. Her hands hovered over the red demon's shoulder, asking for permission and thankfully gaining a nod. An effort was made to get the deer back onto his feet, steadily that is, but he got there in the end with both Charlie's and his microphone's assistance. He offered Angel a hand up in turn, ignoring the embarrassed look the Spider gifted him with as Charlie took another one of Angel's hands. The blonde looked the two men over, before her grin stretched into something familiar, "Thank goodness you're okay! I-I was so worried!" Her arms swarmed Angel's midsection, crushing the spider in a hug as she buried her face in his chest. "You have no idea how happy I am to see that you're okay-" Angel cut her off by settling one of his top hands against her head, ruffling the blonde locks affectionately, as his lower pair extended out to hug back, "S'alright, toots." He reassured, "M' just a little shaken is all." 

Magenta eyes flicked over to where Alastor stood, not meaning to lock eyes with the red demon but just happening to do so as Alastor's ears lifted up, smile ever present if not tightened painfully. Angel's expression softened and before he could stop himself he shoved the attention towards the other male, "Gotta hand it to Al, he's got damn good timing. Thanks for comin' ta get me."

Charlie's head lifted from Angel's chest, snapping over to Alastor just as the male dipped his head, "Well, I couldn't leave the hotel's first patron out there to be slaughtered! It was my pleasure!" That got an eye roll out of Vaggie, Alastor could see it from his spot in the room but even he could tell that she was happy to see them back. 

But he definitely didn't expect Charlie's face to suddenly swarm his vision.

Suppressing his surprise, Alastor blinked as the blonde wordlessly pointed at him, then to his injured leg, before jabbing her clawed hand over to the sitting area. He wanted to make an innocent comment, just to get out of the situation, but as if answering his own thoughts his leg burned it's protest. 

_ Okay, so he'd humor the girl... _

_ Doesn't mean he wouldn't be bitter about it. _

Without a peep Alastor made his way to a chair, Charlie following after him while her hand stayed out to steady his broken gait, his leg sang praises at the relief of pressure but snarled once more as he pulled the pants leg up to show off the ugly tear up his ashen colored shin. 

As Charlie went pale, Vaggie winced at the wound, quickly moving away towards the restrooms in order to grab the first aid, while Angel's jaw slackened and his face dropped in guilt.

An expression that unsettled Alastor completely. 

"Ya got hurt back at the studio?" Angel blurted out, "Why didn't ya somethin'-  _ Shit, now I feel bad _ , are you okay?" The taller male took a couple wary step forward only halting when Alastor gave him a pointed look, "I got this before I came to fetch you, Angel. Rest assured this was not your doing." 

But Angel only pressed on, now noticing Charlie's hands shaking, with ease he helped the girl scoot away, taking the pack from Vaggie and taking the blonde's spot in front of Alastor. "Ya didn't have ta come and get me, ya asshole. I would've found my own way out."

_ Okay, yeah, that was a lie- if Alastor had been a second later he'd of already been double dead- but you know let's just roll with it. _

"Where's the fun in that?" Alastor's tone has slight humor to it but it leaves as soon as Angel looks up at him, two wet rags in two different hands while one of his others hovered over the injured leg, just waiting for the go ahead. But as the seconds passed on, Alastor remained as still, and as silent, as a stone- well that is before the arachnid kneeling in front of him scoffed, "C'mon, Al. I've patched up enough gunshot and knife wounds in my life, and my afterlife, ta be pretty damn good at playing doctor!- Plus I've got steady hands"

Alastor's smile lessened for a moment, weighing his options- Charlie looked faint at the sight of the torn flesh, Vaggie was too busy trying to calm the blonde, Nifty was good at patching wounds but she was busy nitpicking about the state of the lobby, and Husk's claws weren’t exactly suited for stitching a wound. Not to mention, despite having a good pain tolerance, wounds inflicted by holy weapons increased the pain tenfold. 

It'd hurt like hell,  _ even for Alastor. _

A static garbled sigh loosed from the red demon, before he leaned tensely against the chair, "Very well. Get it over with."

This wasn't going to be fun.


	5. A Flurry Of Static Charged Bullets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore warning!~ sorta
> 
> Angel might get smacked-... we'll see.  
> (Author is touch-averse as well, she knows the discomfort of it all ;~; Gonna try and relate some of my experiences with Alastor's reactions to touch, so bear with me.)

Angel lifted a thin brow silently questioning Alastor's sudden, though reluctant, cooperation. Almost not buying it as he watched red claws rip into the arms of the chair; mismatched eyes linger on Alastor's red on red gaze, trying to drag any further resistance from the elder demon before he even _looked_ at the wound properly. 

It had taken a while to figure Alastor out, that much was clear- and seeing as most of the months this past year was Angel trying to get on The Radio Demon's good side- it did not take long to find out what Alastor hated _most_ about Angel's overbearing personality. He noticed the way the other would step away from touch, going as far as sticking his microphone out from time to time. Nifty was the rare case of an embrace actually going without consequence- but seven months ago if Charlie or Angel got even remotely close, without the red demon’s consent, the static around Alastor would sharpen and his body would go rigid.

Angel just assumed Nifty was quick enough for the quick squeeze to go unnoticed.

_Or Alastor didn't care- but who knows?_

But still- it had taken a while to be able to stay this close to the red clad demon _without_ actually being strangled or shoved away. For Angel at least.

They stayed in silence, mutely aware of Charlie and Vaggie getting up to help Nifty prepare for some blockades around the doors and window, while Husk made his way over with a small flask of alcohol. Angel glanced up as he offered the flask, with an eyebrow lifting as he watched the cat demon keep his distance from Alastor's claws. "It's whiskey. S'gonna hurt like a bitch, but it'll clean the wound just as good as any other shit." The tom amended, shooting a blistering glare that countered the withering look he received from his red friend. His scowl squinted eyes turned back to Angel, and nodded at the arachnid, "I'll be here just in case you need help- I've patched a good few wounds in my time."

Angel nodded, letting out a quiet breath, before he narrowed his eyes at Alastor for one last confirmation. "Ready?"

A strained breath left the injured male, but he nodded, his smile everlasting as he wrenched his claws from the chair, "Get it over with."

Angel's bottom left hand goes out and grabs, gently, around Alastor's ankle, making sure the grip is strong enough to keep the other from twitching, but loose enough to where he wouldn't feel completely trapped. The reaction is almost immediate as Alastor's right leg, the uninjured one, jerks up alongside the subdued twitch of his left. Husk places a clawed hand on his right knee, keeping it planted to the ground so it's not a danger- as Alastor barely withheld the instinct the kick Angel right then and there. He was injured, weakened- those who were close to him were watching, and their gazes felt like fire, _He didn't like it._

He was perfectly fine with being hurt, he could've dealt with the wound himself, _privately_ , but he just had to agree to this stupid idea.

If he couldn't keep a hold on himself, someone else would get just as hurt if not more.

But, _gods.._ his skin felt like it was crawling- the sensations of Angel's hand on his leg weren't comforting, they were nagging- _enraging_ \- like a bug or a hair dragging up the limb. It was distracting! And Husk's hand on his knee _did not help either_ , thankfully it was clothed, much more bearable that way, but still it brought him no reassurance, no grip on his composure, it gave him burns instead of pins and needles, an uncomfortable warmth instead of spine shuddering chills. He could feel his smile straining upwards as his claws found their ways back into the leather of the chair, stabbing into the fabric mercilessly, as Angel's head veered closer to inspect the damage to his shin.

He knew his static was sharpened, the stations on his radio changing sporadically, he could tell his reddened aura was starting to leak out the longer he stayed tense, but nothing he seemed to do helped. Leveling his breathing only did so much, closing his eyes worsened it because then he was left in the dark with these strange sensations, and _clearly_ ripping Angel and Husk to pieces was a _big_ no-no.

A rag, damp with water, runs around the wound, soaking up the blood and brushing away the chunks of flesh that hung from it. Alastor could see Charlie's eyes shoot away again, her pale complexion turning a sickly color as Vaggie led her further away, he would've rolled his eyes had they not been slammed shut when Angel finished ripping off a stray piece of hanging flesh. The Spider demon winced, flinching at the feedback that attacked his ears, though he continued to clean around the wound- pulling any other flesh that was hanging off- determined to finish this part before giving Alastor a moment's break.

The rag withdraws, and so does Angel's hand; when they do, Husk straightens up allowing Alastor's personal bubble it's space. As soon as the space is given, the red aura, that was starting to show, pulls back into Alastor and the static that crackled around the trio softened into its regular hum. Though the red demon showed no sign of relaxing his body, he looked relieved to have a breath to himself.

Angel and Husk share a look, the former already looking exhausted as he placed the rag down in order to start threading a needle with his top pair of hands, as he did his bottom pair undid the clasp around the flask of whiskey. He dreaded the moment he'd have to use the alcohol to _actually_ clean Alastor's wound.

It took a moment, one long enough for Alastor to rein himself back in, before he sat straighter in the chair, hands going to his knees in order to hold them down himself- with a wary look to Husk, who merely hovered close by but made no move to come closer- he gave Angel a firm nod, ready for the pain.

_Or~ So he thought._

You see, it was probably explained before- but holy weapons hold this _radiance_ to them, that's what makes them burn when entering a demons, it's what causes so much pain. When this 'radiance' enters the flesh of a demon, and doesn't happen to kill them, it stays there, filters into the blood and nerves, to worsen/hinder the healing properties demons have. 

So you could imagine what type of slander ran through Alastor's head when he thought to himself that- _Yes. This will be fine. I’m perfectly braced._

_A fucking walk in the park._

By the time Angel's hand curled around the ashen colored ankle, and the hand gripping the flask of whiskey turned down into the gaping, still bleeding, wound. _Everyone_ , but Alastor was prepared for the shriek of feedback that screeched out of the Radio Demon. His fingers sunk through his pants piercing his legs as he hunched forward in a wordless agony, tendrils shot out around the duo closest to Alastor, and Angel and Husk narrowly dodged as the whistled past them too attach to Alastor. 

He knew he needed to be held back, to stop himself from harming anyone or anything in the vicinity- well, other then the ripped up chair-. Alastor felt a tendril tighten around his right leg, pinning it to the ground, as he forced himself to lean back in order for two more to lock his arms in place.

Husk's ears went back, his eyes drifting to a baffled looking Angel, before his voice snapped the other male back into work. "You better fuckin' hurry, kid- I dunno how long he's gonna be able to hold back."

That spurred Angel forward with a newfound purpose, after pulling his gaze away from the tentacle show in front of him, Angel quickly readied the needle against Alastor's skin, before using his bottom pair of hands to push the wound together. "Sorry, Al-" The spider stammered, shoving the needle through the skin. His fur stood on end as feedback wailed in his ears, his hands not even daring to shake as he hurriedly tried to stitch the gnarled wound back together.

Husk dared a glance to Alastor's face, seeing his toothy smile clenched with blood dripping down the side of his mouth. The red demon had his head back against the chair's backrest, probably not wanting to see the other’s reactions or the wound that was ruining his pleasant day of carnage.

Nearly halfway finished, Angel rolled his shoulders, trying to keep his hold on Alastor's leg steady as Vaggie's faint voice broke through the static, "Angel, give him a second! At this rate every Executioner is gonna be drawn here just by his noise!" At her words the static's pitch shrieked a higher frequency, dancing between something that sounded like nails on a chalkboard and pure feedback.

"I'm almost fuckin' done! Just hold on!" Angel snaps back, realization kicking in as Vaggie's words could turn to be true at any moment, mismatched eyes break from his stitching and his voice barks out to get Alastor's attention.

"Al! You need to try and stay quiet- those fucker's are bound ta hear us!" His words seemed to chip through, and the static settled- only slightly though- though much more tame, it still crackled and wailed at every stick of the needle. "C'mon, Smiles, just a lil more-" Angel urges, forcing his hands to stop shaking as he pulled the thread through, shuddering when it caught- most definitely being painful- on Alastor's skin.

" _Fuck_ ..!" Angel hisses, wincing as the red demon's chest shuddered in attempts to calm himself with a breath. Husk leaned over, using his claw to cut away at the skin so Angel could start again. When lithe fingers finally pulled the last of the stitching through, Angel felt faint as he cut the thread and tightened his handiwork in order to keep it secured. He could feel Alastor squirm as he did, but once he let go, the red clad demon was exhaling sharply- the tendrils that were wrapped around his arms and right leg retracting into nothingness as the elder demon just _sat there quietly._

The room had gone quiet, the static finally settling into it's normal hum, no longer being screeched at the highest volume. 

"All done, babe." Angel assures, fighting down the urge to pat his good knee, and giving the injured male a moment before wrapping gauze around his shin. The leg barely moved at the gesture, but Angel could feel the tension rising from Alastor as he wrapped the wound.

"Refrain from the pet names, _please_." Alastor's voice hissed out with static, nearly unintelligible as the male lifted his head. "That was less than pleasing," Red on red eyes sink down to the bare leg, distaste coming off of him in waves as he glanced at Angel's sat form. The spider was still covered in blood, most of it nearly dry as he sat on his knees, but the dark red matter popped against his white fur. 

Alastor had to pull his attention from the blood in order to lock eyes with the arachnid, noticing the somber, almost upset, look Angel held. "..I appreciate the assistance, you worked faster than I would have alone." 

That wrangled a pleased grin from the taller male, his golden tooth gleaming in the soft bar lights as he packed up the rest of the medical box, "I told ya! I'm preetty~ damn good at playin' doctor."

The taller demon then stood, tucking the kit under his arm as he went to the bathroom to put it up. Giving Alastor the okay for him to move if he wished. The former did as he pleased, sitting up straighter and covering his bandaged leg quickly with his pants leg. With a quick glance to Charlie, noticing the female had started moving towards him, he summoned his strength and pushed himself to his feet.

His injured leg buckled instantly, having weakened after being assaulted with a needle, but Alastor managed to keep himself steady- with his microphone being a key part in helping him.

Charlie instantly frowned at his actions, the expression foreign on the female's face as she quickly argued, " _Al_." His nickname came out tart, and for some reason Alastor felt like a child being scolded.

_He didn't like that either, to be frank._

A tired look crossed the red demon's face, only reaching his eyes as his smile stayed unwavering. Charlie just seemed to deflate at it, " _Please?_ You need to rest, that _can't_ feel good right now, especially with how you reacted to it being touched!"

"It's supposed to hurt." Alastor agrees, it was obvious that it would hurt, "But, we have much more pressing matters to attend to that dwarf my leg! Have we settled on the seal idea?" He turns the conversation around with practiced ease, his grin sharpening. Charlie narrowed her eyes briefly before she ultimately gave in for the moment and nodded, "Yeah, we're gonna use the bottom floor. We'll seal off the areas we need so we can preserve as much of our powers as we can."

 _Ah- so that's a_ no _to privacy. Right._

"Sounds like a plan, my dear!" A snap of his fingers brought the essential items he would require, not much but it would work for now. "Do I need to fetch Angel's requirements?" "Nope!" Nifty spoke from her spot between two love seats, trying to pull them together, "I got some of his clothing and stuff while up there, so don't worry about it!" 

Angel reappeared from the restroom, rid of a majority of the blood coating his front, with his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "How'd ya know what I would need?"

Nifty shrugged, a mischievous gleam in her eye "It's not hard to figure out-"

" _What's that supposed ta mean?!"_

"Ohoho-kay!" Charlie broke the two apart with graceful ease. After months of breaking up childish fights, the blonde had gotten very good with being the blockade between heated arguments. "There's no need to be at each other's throats right now, we still need to get everything ready before Alastor and I seal the bottom floor." As this was being said Husk motioned to the bullets and guns, reminding the princess of them.

Charlie snapped, pointing at Husk in silent thanks, "That's right! Angel- you know how to use a gun right?"

The spider lifted a brow, "I kinda take offense ta that, ya've seen me shoot stuff before.." He mumbled, ' _Do ya know how to use a gun?'- my ass._ What kinda question is that?" He summoned his Tommy guns, brandishing them with a new kind of pride, gesturing them towards Husk, "Ya got any ammo for 'em?" The older demon squinted slightly, before nodding and pointing to the bar once more, "We should be able to find somethin' for 'em."

Charlie smiled as she watched the two move back, her pounding heart settling as she watched Vaggie move past her to join them with Nifty scurrying past her to get there. There was a chill that ran up her spine, but it left as soon as she shook her shoulders out. She noticed Alastor's shadow zipping around, almost frantic, but when she noticed the red clad demon himself her body felt frozen.

Alastor's ears were straight up, his body tense and his eyes solely focused on the front door as the sounds of metal gears grinding suddenly graced her ears. "They're here." The elder demon's fists were curled tightly, his body taut and looking far more fit for a brawl than how it did before. No longer being slumped, Alastor stood ramrod straight, his gaze flickering to Charlie in an acknowledging manner before he motioned for her to back away.

But before she could even take a step, the doors were being slammed open with ease- their barely put together blockade falling apart- as Executioner's rushed into the building. Charlie screamed as the rocketed past her, nearly falling on her ass as one halted right before her. Black tendrils spiraled from the ceiling, wrapping around a few of the invaders, crushing some with incredible force, while others were mercilessly stabbed in their heads and chests. 

Their bodies were dropping like flies, but there was still _so many_ inside already-

Charlie craned her head up to meet the shining blue gaze of the Executioner looming over her, it brandished no weapon, only a spine chilling grin that mimicked all of the smiles of it's brethren. Though seeming to be non threatening, it did let out a mechanical hiss towards Alastor as the red clad demon dropped another metal body to the ground.

_**"My my what a show! I am pleased to be a witness to such carnage!"** _

From the door, a voice rings out. It sounded ethereal, and not right for anyone in Hell to be graced with.

_But that would make sense._

It was, after all, an angel's voice that spoke out towards the demons littering the hotel's lobby room.

Charlie took a wary step back, closer to Alastor now, but moreso wanting to gain ground on Vaggie's location by the bar's side. She didn't like this, even if she wanted to, no matter how hard she willed herself to be positive- to be ecstatic to finally have an angel gracing her with it's presence- all she could feel in this moment was absolute terror.

Angel's weren't supposed to be _adored_ by demons, they were supposed to be sworn enemies. Executioners were made to _slaughter,_ and demons, beings who are dirty and sinful, were made to fear and hate what is clean and pure.

Charlie was afraid. For once in her life she felt true terror, her heart only sinking further as she peered around the metal fiend in front of her to stare at the tall winged being leaning down to step into the hotel, _her hotel_.

_**"By all means, don't stop on my accord! Please, continue this barbaric slaughter!"** _

Golden hair, tossed to the side, moved without a breeze to help it. The angel's eyes were a bright silvery-blue, absorbing the sight of the dead Executioners around Alastor, nearly glowing; they took a stride forward, their face alight with a dimpled, tooth bared, smile. It was obvious they were mostly focused on the red clad demon, possibly sensing the most immediate power radiating from the man as he cracked his neck back to meet the angel's appraising look with a vicious, lip curling, smile of his own.

But Charlie could tell, _she could feel it coming off of him._

_Alastor was getting scared too._

He was in a weak physical state right now, one correctly aimed blow and he'd be down and vulnerable.

" _ **If you would-**_ " The angel's hand curled around the Executioner's shoulder, urging it to move to the side, as they leaned over to give Charlie a glance over. Their blue eyes narrowed, seeming to focus on her very soul, before a brighter grin stretched across their face, **_"Ah! That is much better!"_** Their voice kept it's sing-song tone, shifting through pitches before settling on something upbeat and charming. _**"Hello my fanged and slit eye'd dear! It is a 'pleasure' to meet your acquaintance, my name is Micheal!" Archangel, Micheal, to be exact."**_

"A-an...Archangel..?" Vaggie's quiet whisper made it to Charlie's ears, anchoring the reveal in the blonde's mind, and encouraging her legs to take another step back.

As if sensing the tension the angel's smile softened, like butter melting, it fell into something genuine, " ** _Hah! No need to fret, dearest child! A hair shall not be touched on your head!_** " Charlie's shoulders loosened slightly, and she dared a glance back at the others surrounding her.

Vaggie looked to be on the verge of charging her, to get her out of harms way- Husk had his paws over his shotgun, eyeballing the Executioners that stood closest to the bar- Nifty was tucked behind Angel Dust, gripping her small handgun like it was a lifeline- and Angel had a weapon in each of his hands, each one aimed at it's own Executioner; just daring the metal freaks to get closer- and Alastor..Alastor looked ready to murder, his eyes had yet to leave the Archangel, and if the flickering of radio dials proved anything it proved that Charlie needed to take more than one step away from the tall being.

"Okay.. but why-..why are you here? A-And why are we being surrounded if you don't mean any harm?" Charlie questions, daring a few more steps back. The Archangel tilted it's head, a genuinely surprised look crossing it's heavenly features as it narrowed it's eyes at the girl. Charlie felt naked under it's stare, as if it were picking her to pieces just to find out why she was so afraid.

They stared for a moment longer, straightening slightly from their hunched position to bluntly spit their words out, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world _**"You must be aware that we are in the presence of filth. Surely you, a promising, bright soul, would prefer solitude against this massacre?"**_ They allowed a laugh to break from their perfect smiling face, the humorless bark setting Alastor's static to another pitch, _ **"These animals should not be given the privilege of hearing what must be said.."**_ It looked pointedly at Charlie, taking her silence as confirmation; with a giddy wave of their hands, the order was sent out to the Executioners present, _**"As I thought, they shall be disposed of immediately!"**_ They chirped, wings arching up slightly. 

Charlie was tipped off by the nonchalant tone, but when the sugar coated heinous words sunk in, she was jerking around to cry out to the others.

The Executioners went right back to work. Vaggie was pinned against the bar instantaneously, her head slamming against the wooden counters with a loud thump as she cried out. Husk was on the damn thing before Charlie could even process the scene before her- a loud, ear shattering gunshot echoed through the lobby, and suddenly Vaggie was pulled over the bar so she could recover- her attacker dropping to the floor with a sizable hole in it's skull.

Angel let loose, bullets flying as the metal creatures dove in on their forms. He took a good few down before he was apprehended, but a quick shot from below was all he needed to know as the one holding him slumped over with black blood soaking from the bottom of it's chin. "I owe ya one, Nifty!" He grins, swinging the butt of his gun around to smash it against the next closest Executioner.

But Alastor had the most body counts. He dealt with the Executioner's zoning in on him, with scary ease, before his fingers snapped towards the door in order to stop anymore from entering. If one crossed the threshold, it would be assaulted by a vicious red aura that were followed with the crushing holds of midnight black tendrils.

 _ **"Ha-ha! How troublesome!"**_ The Archangel's voice was bittersweet, borderline fake cheerfulness as it moved it's gaze back to Alastor. Watching with deadly glinted eyes as the Radio Demon chipped through the numbers they brought with them. They thought for a moment, Charlie could see the gears in their head grinding before they perked up with a unknown plan, _**"This one will suffer the most!"**_

"What? No- _Wait_!"

_A snap resounded._

_And Alastor crumpled._

"Al?!" Angel shouts, jerking away from the Executioner he was fighting off as soon as he saw the red demon drop. Metal hissing brought his gaze back briefly to the angel, before he wrestled his gun from it's grasp and fired three shots. With hurried movements, the tall male hoisted Nifty onto the counter before he swiftly made his way over to Alastor's hunched form, shooting Executioners away as he neared.

The angel behind Charlie leaned over once more, their large wings stretching around the girl as they hunched forward, _ **"Oh, what a grim mistake."**_ They whisper against her ear, blue eyes casting a glow as Charlie found herself covered by their white wings. _**"Do not fret, child, your devilish friend will finish this mess himself!"**_ The blonde strained against the hand clasped against her shoulder, her voice wavering as she looked up at the large being, "Stop this! They've done nothing wrong!"

Stunning blue turned incredulous, **_"Rubbish."_** The Archangel tuts, their grin reforming as the static filling the lobby turned into an agonized shriek of feedback, _**"Everything they get is deserved, they are after all residents of Hell, my child."**_

"That's not fair, you haven't even given them a chance to prove themselves!"

 _ **"True colors are being shown~"**_ The static sizzled inside Charlie's stomach, filling it with dread as the angel behind her pulled her closer. _ **"Listen to them turn against each other."**_

Charlie listened, and listened, her beating heart never settling, before everything turned dead quiet and her vision blurred with a white glow.

Husk saw it before the others, he saw the Archangel curl around Charlie like a shield, the Executioners smiles brightening, and how Alastor's body shook, the way the air was pulled tightly, suffocating. He shouted towards Angel, yelling at the spider to get back, as he shoved Vaggie down behind the bar tugging Nifty off the counter with him as he ducked.

The explosion was immediate, and with the shrieks of lost souls and white noise filling their ears with shattering intents, the hotel shuddered at the shock wave of power. Angel's cry of pain was heard, but Husk _knew_ he couldn't do anything until the aftermath of the blow was over. 

It took a moment, but things did eventually simmer down enough for Husk to fight through the painful ringing in his ears, " _Stay down._ " The tom urged the girls next to him, before he pushed himself up to look over the bar top.

He was met with a black cloud, brimming with red sigals as Alastor's body disappeared into the static tainted smoke. Amber eyes grazed over the Archangel, noting that it was still curled around Charlie, before they fell upon Angel who was struggling to get to his feet. The spider was gripping his stomach, a pained look on his face as he bared his fangs at a curious Executioner that veered to close.

Husk leapt over the bar, aiming his shotgun, before pulling the trigger. Angel flinched as the Executioner dropped beside him, mismatched eyes wavering as Husk loped his arm under his top arms and started to drag him over to the bar. " _Shit.._ " A fitful breath wheezed through Angel, " _Easy, Husky..I like it rough_ \- _but_ _damn that fucking hurts.."_ Husk's expression faltered, he was barely holding Angel up, _what the fuck hit him?_

He opened the side door and urged Angel in, setting him on the floor, "Take a breather kid." He urged, blinking when a gloved hand came up to stop him.

"What 'bout Al? He okay? I saw him hit the ground.." His chest shuddered with a breath.

"He's unreachable at the moment, we gotta let him calm down first-" Another shriek of feedback wailed through the lobby, and Husk quickly reloaded his gun and took a defensive position on the floor, "We're gonna wait it out-" "What about Charlie?!" Vaggie snarled, ready to get up, " _She'll be fine!"_ Husk barked back, fur bristling, as he moved his hand over to set it down on the gray haired woman's shoulder, forcing her to sit back down. "We gotta worry 'bout ourselves, gotta keep ourselves alive right now, or Charlie and Alastor are gonna be fucked!"

_He hoped they’d make it through this, but the chances felt so fucking slim..Husk didn’t know what to do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno how to feel about the angel font, what do you guys think? Keep it or naw? Or replace it? They're a sadistic lil shit, but I wanted to give it the 'Haha I'm so peppy and nice' while also like- 'I'm about to fucking cave your faces in :D'
> 
> Idunno, ya'll tell me what ya think about that, if ya think it can be improved. xD


	6. When Things Slow, The Pain Shows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the amazing feedback ya knuckleheads~ I seriously enjoy reading your comments, they bring a smile to my face.

When Charlie's eyes slowly blinked back into, she's quick to realize she was in an airspace, no longer inside her hotel, with two larges wings hovering around her, protectively almost, flapping only momentarily to keep afloat, the Archangel who started the whole fiasco stared down at her patiently. Her vision was still spotted, and her ears rang with faint static, but in the moment all she could think was if she was alive or not- and what about her friends!? Were they still okay?

_Not five seconds ago they were fighting back Executioners in a battle for their own lives._

So _why?_ Why the fuck is she here?

Charlie narrowed her usual lighthearted gaze, wringing her hands out before she clenched them tightly. With some effort, she managed to right herself from her adrift position, before her blonde hair whipped back as she craned her head up to curl her lips at the large being. "What the hell!?"

The angel's smile widened, amusement dazzling their already sparkling eyes, **_"Clever wordplay."_** They admit, flapping their wings once more as golden hair whisks to the left by an unknown gust of wind. The Archangel blinked warmly at the girl, intoxicating blue eyes watching her rage trembling form with a fondness for the foreign emotion. Angel's didn't feel hatred, it was ungodly; unwarranted in Heaven, only for the ones residing in Hell and those in the living world, such an innocent thing that could hold such malicious intentions when out of hand.

Another question for another day, the angel concludes. Reprising their smile to inform the young Hellborn of the splendid news.

 ** _"If you'll lend an ear, I must explain this situation to you. You see, my child-"_** "I'm not your _fucking_ child! Stop calling me that! Take me back to my friends- I don't want to hear what you have say!"

 ** _"You're going to listen to what I have to say."_** The angel reiterates sternly, the pitching of their voice bordering off it's previous soft tones and wavering into a baritone warning. Ignoring her jab, their hands clasped in front of them as their patience seemed to ebb further, **_"I have all eternity to wait, your friends have- I'll be generous- perhaps nine minutes before the Executioners bring me their heads. So we can stay here and bicker with each other or we can get straight to why you haven't been slaughtered."_**

Charlie wanted to argue, she wanted to demand that she be taken back- but if she did they would all be killed..

"Call off your angels, I don't want my friends harmed while we talk."

The Archangel's smile turned to a grin, one that Charlie did not like one bit, it was flashy, toothy, manic in it's own way; it reminded her of Alastor's far more malicious grins. **_"Oh-ho-ho~ The Executioners aren't attacking your friends, my child. Your dashing red friend will be dealing the damage. He's already grimly wounded the tall white male!"_**

"Wh-what..?" Charlie recoiled, _Alastor was attacking the others? _

_The angel ignored her stammering words,_ ** _"So, I'll say it once more. Are you ready to listen, my dearest child? Or will I have to watch your friends die? Either way, I am happy with the outcome."_**

Charlie's spine shuddered at their words, her head aching as she quickly nodded, "I'm listening."

 ** _"Oh wonderful!"_** The angel gushed, their tone hard to decipher as they veered forward to hover closer, **_"Please keep up- though I can repeat this, I would rather not! "_** They cleared their throat, the pitching revisiting the charmed tone from before, _ **"**_ ** _It_ _has been decided that Hell will overcome a change. A purge, if you will. Executioners and angels were sent early in order to wipe out the majority of the demon population._**

Charlie felt her heart sink, "You're trying to kill everyone..?"

The winged bastard had the audacity to look sympathetic, **_"A sizable portion of your people, I'm afraid."_**

"But _why?!_ "

Golden hair swayed as the angel shook their head, _**"I cannot say, Charlotte Magne. But you must stay on your toes. YOU must survive in order to lead the new Hell into a better direction."**_ They paused, looking hesitant before taking a glance around, before they deemed the area clear of prying eyes and ears. **_"I shouldn't tell you this."_** Their pitching lowered, tuning into a well-trained smooth rumble, mimicking that of a whisper. **_"But, if you want the ones you claim to care deeply for to stay by your side, then you must keep them close. If you don't, they are sure to perish with the others that have been caught so far."_**

* * *

Vaggie pressed flush against the wall adjacent to the bar, tugging Angel Dust's limp body close to her as Nifty and Husk fought off the Executioners peering curiously over the counter. There was no ill intent behind their movements, but it was clear that they wanted to box the demons in, corner them, pin them down until their deaths were ordered.

A steely eye watched as one reached over, clawed digit poking at a rifle, it all but keeled over when Nifty shot two pellets into it's head with a frightened but murderous gleam in her eye. 

The spider in her arms had started to curl, taking on a fetal position, as the static around them began to roar. Vaggie couldn't do much other than hold the male as he clutched his chest, stomach, and head at the same time, his claws digging in as he sought out some type of relief. 

"Husk..!" Vaggie trails off, arms bound loosely underneath Angel's top arms, "He's getting worse!"

"I don't know what we're supposed ta' fuckin' do!" Husk spat back, firing off a rifle shot that landed between the eyes of an Executioner, it whittled under the shot, fleeing back, but didn't die. Nifty spared the girl a quick glance, taking in the sight like she was trying to figure out a particular piece of a jigsaw puzzle piece that wasn't fitting in with the rest. Her eye ran over Angel's body, the keen optic sure to find the problem; it noted the synchronized shake of the spider's body, how the quake was conjoined with the pulse of Alastor's static that hummed in the air. "Husk! What's Alastor's situation right now?" The smaller demon questioned, giving the cat demon a reason to create a rip in the crowd as she placed a gentle hand on Angel's.

Husk complied, his wings shuddering as he readied himself for the push upwards, "Shit-" The male rammed the butt of his gun up, checking a Executioner in the neck, flaring his wings up over the counter and out to try and gain some breathing room. The metal fiends jerked back at the flashing feathers, giving Husk the space he needs to check on Alastor and Charlie.

In the sitting area the static charged cloud of black was still very much a thing that was happening, and the wailing of feedback and white noise easily accompanied it, but it was starting to thin into a lighter fog. Husk could see Alastor crumpled against the floor, clawing at his ears and head as his sides heaved with an effort to find control. The male behind the counter nearly cringed, _It wasn't good if it was getting that kind of reaction out of Alastor._ The guy was as hard as a rock, it took a lot to make him crack.

"Alastor's... _recovering_?" He said uncertain of the actual state his red friend was in.

"We gotta figure out a way to calm him down-" Nifty pipes up, "I think Angel's having some type of reaction to the noise."

Vaggie's pleads quickly croaked out, urging the male to comply, "What about Charlie? Is she okay?"

Scowling properly now, Husk looks to Charlie- noticing the shudder of the wings that enclosed the girl. Just getting a glimpse of the Archangel removing it's feathery embrace before the group of Executioners began to pile around once more. Metal claws gripped his ears, digging in with forceful intent, before more grabbed his wings and clawed at his back. 

" _Husk!"_

Nifty's scream was shrill as she was plucked up from the floor, her gun going flying as the angel's broke it from her grasp. Husk couldn't even turn around to help as he was pulled over the counter, his claws striking around as he tried to regain control over the bastards now pinning him down. "Get off of me!" There was a nasty crunch that sounded off from his shoulder, and suddenly Husk's arm went limp, "God damn it, get off!" He yowled, biting his cheek to hold back his pained yell.

"No! _No! No! Get away! Stay the fuck away!"_ Vaggie snarled from behind the counter, manifesting her own holy spear to jab it towards the Executioner that was crawling towards her and Angel. It's broad smile taunting her as she stabbed the pointed end of her weapon into it's eye.

" _Leave us alone!"_

_**"Alright, that is quite enough."** _

The Archangel's voice pitched to something bass-y, lowered into a fine rumble that demanded order and attention. The Executioners present in the lobby stopped their assault immediately, their expanded wings shutting together like several pairs of metal doors slamming close. **_"Disperse."_**

It a split second, the lobby was empty of Executioners, their bodies disappearing through the broken windows, some even daring to go past the doorway Alastor trapped, which resulted in a mild chase of tendrils, feebly, reaching out to grab at them. The bodies of those who were dead were snapped out of existence, sent back to heaven for repairs if they were lucky.

Husk felt the hands pressing against his back and wings leave, and when he did he found himself _finally_ taking a breath to calm his muddled mind. He soon came to the conclusion, that it was _too fucking early to deal with this, and that as soon as it was resolved he was going to get shit-faced, and nobody could tell him otherwise._

_That was a damn fact._

"Husk?" Nifty whispers, coming to his side to place her small hand against his shoulder, the one he could barely feel, before she knelt down to start helping him up. The tom hissed at the claw marks that stung against his back, but he complied with the smaller demon's encouraging touches and lifted himself up to sit back on his knees. "Fucking hell.." Husk grumbled, cradling his dislocated arm as he brushed Nifty's steadying hands away. "I'm good, I'm good." His wing creates a feathered wall between Nifty and his injured shoulder, stopping the pestering female from overlooking it as he moved his gaze over towards the Archangel who spoke out.

"Husk! Nifty!" Charlie breathed, moving forward with shaking limbs completely disregarding the angel behind her as it peered curiously around the lobby. " _Ohshit- ohshit- ohshit-"_ Charlie's throat clogs as she looks at Husk's limp arm, her eyes going around while starting to water, "W-where's Vag- Vaggie and A-Angel?" Husk blinked at her words, she rarely got this upset, especially in front of them! Nifty was quick though, as always, quickly reassuring the blonde that her lover and friend were okay behind the bar.

Charlie could only nod in relief.

As the blonde kneeled down to inspect Husk's shoulder, much to the tom's protest, the Archangel casually made it's way closer in order to properly look at Alastor's whittled frame on the floor. The black cloud of charged static had simmered into near nothing, but the red clad male still kept himself down in order to properly rein his control back without hurting anyone else.

 ** _"A shame."_** The angel hummed, clasping their hands quietly in front of themselves as they watched Alastor tremble, _**"Though I'm surprised. He's quite composed, considering the horrors his mind must be showing him."**_ A pleased grin curled at their lips as Alastor's body shuddered in an struggling fight for reality. Charlie's head craned over her shoulder, her hands on Husk's injured arm, waiting patiently for the male to brace so she could pop his shoulder back into place. She spared a look to Alastor and suddenly her eyes fogged over, "C-Can't you undo that?" 

The angel stared at Charlie for a moment, taking in the pained look on her face with increasing interest, before they shook their head firmly, _**"I cannot. The flashes of memories are important, if I stopped it now there would be a chance he would forget everyone here, including himself..-That and he**_ **is** _ **a demon, I can't exactly fix what is supposed to be permanently broken."**_ They took a closer step towards Alastor, pleasantly admiring how the crippled man had the strength tolook up at them with a vicious smile that held very ill intentions behind it. If they weren't already one of _the most powerful beings to ever_ _exist_ , maybe, just maybe, the Archangel would have felt actual fear.

So they grinned once more, ear to ear in a broad and charming smile that sent the Radio demon at their paws snarling static and spitting blood, **_"I'm sure he can fight through this, my child. He already looks to be well down the road to recovery!"_**

Charlie's arms jerked up, and with it Husk's arm painfully popped back into place. The tom hissed through a breath, but seemed grateful despite his face turned downwards into a sharp frown. Nifty kept herself tucked beside Charlie and Husk, fear leaking off her small body as she peered at the large winged being overlooking the Overlord she called her boss and friend.

She was angry at the angel, but what the hell could she do to stop them?

The angel moved it's gaze away from Alastor, taking a curious interest to the bar as a small grunt sounded off from behind the counter. Long strides brought them over, and to Charlie's horror, they peered over just in time for a holy spear to sink into their shoulder. Vaggie's head was showing halfway over the bartop, her eye was narrowed but when she saw her target was none other than the Archangel themselves, terror seemed to sink in. 

The angel however didn't seem fazed _at all_ , keeping their unsettling grin, they pulled out the spear, treating the pointed stick like a thorn stuck into their thumb before they handed it back to Vaggie with a unbothered hum, _**"I believe this is yours, ma'am. Best not to stick it where it doesn't belong- there could be repercussions next time!"**_ Their gaze fell onto Angel's limp form on the floor, and if it were possible it's face seemed to _glow_ with giddy amusement, **_"Glad I wasn't wrong with this one at least! He did get hit!"_**

Vaggie had the nerve to look angry, something that should of surprised the Archangel, but the scowl only seemed to make them more amused. **_"No need to look so sour, I am not here to cause you harm.- For now at least."_** They added the last part in a slightly cocky manner, but before Vaggie could snark back they were pulling away, back straightening, before they made their way back to Charlie.

 ** _"As entertaining as it is to stay here and watch you recover, I must be on my way home. Keep what I have said in mind, my child."_** Blue eyes settle on Charlie's simmering stare, taking in her appearance once more before the angel bows their head, _**"Until next we meet, Charlotte Magne."**_

Within a moment, a blink of an eye if anything, the Archangel was gone. A blue light swallowing their body before they disappeared without a trace of ever setting foot in the hotel.

And as if on cue, Alastor's static shuts off completely, leaving the hotel's staff in utter, deafening, silence.

Charlie deflated, finally feeling her adrenaline wearing off. Husk made his move to stand first, he winced at first, but ultimately managed to get to his feet without any help. Nifty was next, popping up to her feet with a gentle hand on Charlie's shoulders before she zipped towards the bar- Charlie could see her giving Alastor a calculating look as she went, but she didn't stop for the male.

"C'mon kid." Husk offered his good arm for the blonde, "Let's get this place fixed up and make sure everyone is alright," One of his large eyebrows lifted up as a bemused smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth, "I'm pretty sure your girl shat herself after realizing she stabbed that Archangel."

" _Fuck you, Husk!"_

* * *

Things were finally settling down, thank goodness too..

Charlie could still hear the demons outside screaming, and the rattling of the hotel's walls and windows whenever a Executioner barreled past. But after two hours of getting Alastor back to his feet, _without electrocuting himself or someone else,_ they had managed to seal the hotel's bottom floor entirely.

Little could be said about Alastor's state of mind, or Angel's well being, not to mention the traumatic scenes that Husk, Vaggie, and Nifty had to fight through. But Charlie was happy that they were alive- undead?- and relatively okay despite what happened only hours before.

For the moment, Alastor had excused himself from the others- almost desperately if Charlie heard correctly. The red demon _needed_ privacy, especially right now. His mind was muddled with old memories the Archangel forced to resurface, lingering static basically screaming inside of his head- which grew increasingly more bothersome once he helped Charlie make the seal-

Now Alastor claimed the kitchen as his quiet space, just for a few minutes.. _just until he was absolutely sure that everything inside was in order._

When he came back to, after the.. _incident_..he heard Charlie by his ear, softly encouraging him to focus on his breathing, on staying calm. He remembered his sides heaving with a strangled breath, his ears swinging restlessly back and forth as if to lock on to one single noise, but to no avail. His body wasn't being touched, but the warmth of Charlie's frame was there, a couple of inches away, but not daring to make contact until Alastor was fully back. 

_"That's it. Deep breaths. Take your time, Al."_ Charlie soothes, her tone like that of a mother.

It took him back to one of the first flashes of memories that slashed across his vision, _the same one that dropped him to his knees._ Alastor's mother _always_ used that tone, no matter the circumstances, the first person he ever adored had always been such a considerate and gentle soul to everyone, especially him.

Joyous eyes that bore into his soul, a warming smile to better his day, a bellowing laugh to humor his dramatic antics. The two shared many things, but those were the ones that he saw the most.

Perhaps that is why he listened to Charlie. Favored her. Protected her and what she loved.

Perhaps that is why he became so invested in such a place.

The child he was supposed to use, wanting to find failure in her project of redemption, had him wrapped around her finger and she wasn't letting him go anytime soon.

_But then again, even if he had the chance, Alastor wouldn't leave either- He had grown far to attached, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not._

So when his breath finally settled, and the red jolts of electricity stopped flashing over his body, his voice came out warning-like, not through anger but for worry. Charlie was going to touch his still _very charged_ arm to aid him in standing, to get him on his shaking legs; but had she made contact, Alastor was afraid that she'd be flying across the room from the charge that would shoot out. 

"No touching." Alastor had warded of the hand with a stern stare, "I'm okay." He reassured after a moments notice, a shaky intake of breath was the only thing that said otherwise, "Just let me rest for a moment."

"Hey boss..I think you hit Angel with the shockwave.." Nifty's put off words rang clear in the man's ears, staying well behind Charlie in case her voice brought something different to his mind- though it didn't bring the bad thoughts, only the fond memories of how he met the younger demon- "He's reacting to your static."

_Ah..right._

Alastor vaguely remembered his powers kicking into overdrive once the first memory hit, the bubble of pushed down terror that made him kick to his last resort. 

Then he saw that ever so caring Spider demon rushing his way.

But he couldn't remember what happened after it, he faded to black before he could stop Angel from getting close- _He hurt someone. Someone he cared about-_

Through the sudden nausea of the realization, Alastor took what strength he had left and began to push himself onto his feet- albeit favoring his right leg more than his left, as the stitching had ripped only slightly when he fell- He had rejected Charlie's hand, making it _very clear_ that he shouldn't be touched still, though he did want to see Angel's condition before he went to calm down properly.

He was led behind the bar, and halted right at the saloon door that had been propped open. Vaggie was on her knees beside the male doing her very best to soothe him as he curled himself into a tight ball. Red on red eyes stopped themselves from showing actual concern, but it wasn't hard to pick out if one looked closely enough. Charlie saw it, _god she saw it so clearly._

_Alastor, one of the most powerful demons in Hell, The Radio Demon. Was guilty. Actually guilty._

He told her that there was access static in Angel's body, causing discomfort and pain as his body wasn't made to have it in him. He claimed that once he had completely reined his powers back, that he would remove the static.

That was a weight off their shoulders.

Whatever Angel was going through, it wouldn't be permanent.

All they had to do was wait until Alastor had control.

Now here the red clad demon stood, claws tapping against the counter top as the coffee machine brewed enough for both him and the others outside of the kitchen. He had gotten a better hold on the shocks going through his body, now confident in being able to touch another being, but he could tell the physical and mental weight of what the Archangel forced upon him was going to stay with him for a while.

_Whether he liked it or not._

Glancing outside the window, Alastor quickly took note that night was soon to fall.

_It'd be a shame if something else came up to further ruin this day. Sleep sounded like an amazing idea._

Alastor was brought from his brief stupor when the coffee maker squeezed the last of it's brew out, the tangy smell of the contents inside the pot were alluring- that alone took Alastor's mind away from getting rest.

He had to fix what he damaged. Angel was still hurt. He had to right that wrong first before he would let himself rest.


	7. For You? Or For me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'D Oml that second part was so hard to write, I've rewritten it so many times because I kept getting awkward with how to word it. I kept getting the Heebie-jeebies just writing it xD  
> Anyways, hope you enjoy chapter seven~

The fire swaying from the fireplace was a welcomed source of natural light. Charlie had Vaggie in her arms, between her legs, with the gray haired woman's head resting back against her chest, the were back against the wall closest to the fireplace, and they looked _incredibly_ comfortable. Whispering between each other, things that sounded like reassurance, and sharing mellow looks that were affectionate in their own ways. The taller blonde had her chin against her lover's shoulder, every so often placing a tender kiss to her neck, while Vaggie slumped- _deadass relaxing completely_ \- against the other. They were content, finally finding peace after the hectic day.

It was endearing to watch them interact, even if it was from the corner of her eye. And borderline amusing as she watched the two become snoring messes within minutes because of the soft jazz subconsciously playing from Alastor's inner radio.

Nifty had taken to watching the two quietly from her tucked spot against Husk's wing, the male had been keeping her close ever since the start of this day, and though she wouldn't admit it outwardly, Nifty appreciated his concern- even if it was mild-.

Husk had taken the closest couch to crash on after getting shitfaced- as he promised himself before- his arm was in a sling, hidden behind the wing Nifty snuggled against, and would be healed by morning, Charlie had persuaded the tom to properly cast his arm just in case any real damage had come to it. 

Now Nifty kept her smile tempered down as a low rumbling left the snoozing man's throat, his ears twitching, attentive moreso now than before despite the deep slumber he was in. She happily accepted his feathered wing as a pillow as she felt her eye grow heavy, but before she could even think about actually falling asleep a instinctual pull sent her gaze back over to Angel Dust.

She could see his ragged breathing, even through the large sweater that Charlie and Vaggie had changed him into, it wasn't hard to spot- for through the entire afternoon the smaller demon had been tasked with checking on him as Charlie and Alastor recovered from making the seal-. If she could see his breathing patterns from the other side of the room, then she could definitely tell that there was pain by the way he squirmed every so often.

_The poor thing.._

His breathing looked heavy, and every time Alastor's hand would get near his body urging the crackle of static coming from his own frame to connect with it's real host, Angel's body would curl in on itself. Nifty had watched Alastor try several times now to get an actual hold on the male without hurting him, but each time he tried he seemed to become more and more unsure of himself. At some point, when Alastor had managed to get a hand on him, Angel had even cried out in pain.

That had scared all of them into thinking that there was more to this story than just 'He'd been hit by a static shockwave, and has residue of said static in his body.' But Alastor was quick to reassure, as he always was.

Now, Nifty's seen Alastor angry, she's seen him starved, incoherent, content and laid back. But she's _never_ seen him so upset over a such a small noise, _usually he lived for the noises full of fear and pain_ , but when it came out of Angel, _gods,_ Alastor looked like a scolded child. So unsure of how to go about the next step, how to help without the hurt..

Nifty has never seen the man be guilty, _Alastor didn't do guilt_...

So..why did he look so guilty..?

A single amber eye locked onto the red clad demon sat beside Angel's couch in a arm chair, a clawed hand around a mug of steaming coffee. The elder looking thoughtful, glowing crimson eyes staring into the fire pit in some sort of trance, one that Nifty _did not want to break_. A single claw tapped soundlessly against the rim of his mug, his bad leg out before him in a effort to stretch the aching limb before he pulled it back to his chair with a barely noticeable twitch of pain.

_Alastor looked at peace considering the absolute hell he's gone through._

_But..he also looked exhausted._

Nifty could see the way his eyes blinked slowly, the Radio demon was starting to tire.

_She just hoped that he would get some actual sleep tonight.._

"...Hey boss?" Nifty's soft voice managed to reach his ears, and his ears alone, Husk wouldn't remember anything from today- so he sure won't hear any of this- there was no reason to worry about the tom overhearing this.

Pulled from his stupor, black singed ears work their ways in the direction of Nifty's voice, listening without reaction showing on the red demon's face. He gave her that, and it was all Nifty needed to know that she had his full attention. 

So she did what she could.

"Ya'know..Angel will be okay, right? He's looking a lot better from when he first got hit." 

A hum buzzed from somewhere deep in the Radio Demon's chest, that resembling a purr, but lacking the softness of such a noise,- an acknowledging grumble perhaps-.

_Whatever it was, it sent a shiver down Nifty's spine._

"I think you needed to hear that." The small female offers, frankly, subconsciously, in an instinctual manner she couldn't help but let loose. "You look upset."

Alastor's smile twitched, not enjoying having been called out. His eyes stayed on the fire, his ears removing themselves from Nifty's form as he took a generous drink of the liquid in the mug, "That will be all, Nifty." His dismissal was met with a frown, a worried one, but Nifty chose not to push his buttons any further-

_-This time, at least._

The female sighed heavily draping the blanket, that was covering her lower half, over her shoulders; her head laid gently on Husk's wing, " _Okay_.." She trailed off, only faintly annoyed at his sudden mood, squirming to get comfortable, before wishing the male a goodnight, "Try to get proper rest." She could feel Husk inhale deeply, relaxing as her hand skimmed down one of his ruffled feathers, "Sleep well, boss."

Alastor's response was immediate, his radio tin near to nothing as the tune emitting from him turned itself up in order to mute the screams from the outside world, protecting the resting ears that were grouped around him, "Goodnight, my dear."

By time her eye was closed, Nifty was out like a light- no dreams in sight to plague her mind.

* * *

_This was getting old._

As the night progressed further, with the Executioners outside showing little to no signs of letting up their carnage anytime soon, Angel's recovery seemed to take a 180 and gone straight downhill. Alastor found himself turning the chair he occupied around to fully face the spider, with a look of pure loss for the situation, as Angel's body began to convulse in a painful looking way.

He had been doing so well! What had changed?!

Alastor had assumed before, after many failed attempts of getting the remaining static out, that Angel's body was just far to sensitive for extraction at the time. Alastor assumed that it would be late in the next day before he would get an actual chance to get back the powers that had speared themselves into Angel's being looking for a safe escape from the danger the Archangel presented.

Damnable animal instincts must have coiled their ways into the white noise for them to react that way.

But Alastor hadn't expected for his powers, after breaking and smashing their way through Angel's body, to then curl and embed themselves into the new host almost in a show of how unwilling they were to release the new host from their grasp. Whatever they were doing before, it had increased tenfold, and now Angel's body was suffering because of that unwillingness to let go.

Patience hanging on by a mere thread of control, Alastor carefully lifted the spider's shirt up once more in order to check his bruised abdomen and stomach area, the fur had stayed white- but the skin underneath had turned a nasty black and blue color- framing the pale fur with a mulling wave of darkened flesh that Alastor, though having claimed to be enticed by a bruise on any other frame, had began to feel sickened by.

Bruises never favored Angel.

Never looked right on his face, and certainly didn't look right anywhere else.

And it didn't feel.. _right_..to know that the causing of this mark was by the Radio Demon himself.

_Alastor was brought back to the many nights he had run into Angel dragging himself back into the hotel from a rough day in the studios. The blackened areas that swarmed the arachnids face, swollen and throbbing painfully, the way that the dried blood specked some areas of his face, areas that had been furiously scrubbed at in order to wipe the red substance away, while the makeup baring his face was streaked with tear stains._ _Alastor remembered the way Angel stumbled inside the hotel the first time he had caught the spider in the act of breaking curfew, how the taller male had unceremoniously hit the door in order to close it and how he nearly dropped when his shaking legs nearly gave out._

_If Alastor hadn't known the male well enough after two months of being around him, seeing him walk in with nasty tears and scratches along the arms and back of his blazer, he would of let the male continue forward without a second glance._

_But Angel had never come in looking this bad, this beaten and bruised, this..broken._

_He remembered the way Angel flinched away from his touch, his fangs baring, and eyes glowing in a warning- making sure that Alastor shouldn't say or do anything to test the spider's temper- but he eventually had accepted the sturdy shoulder to lean on as the deer demon slowly led his half-awake form towards his room._

_It became such a frequent occurrence that Alastor had started to sit in the lounge after Angel's curfew in order to help the spider, it usually went over Charlie's head, but when it didn't Alastor would reassure the worried blonde that he had it under control, and that Angel would most likely feel worse if she were there to guilt trip him for his tardiness._

_It wasn't his fault Valentino kept him at the studio knowing good and well that it was testing the boundaries of Charlie Magne's, and his own, patience._

_If only that roach was still alive.._

_Alastor would take great pleasure in ripping him limb from limb in order to, graciously, pay him back for the injuries given to Angel._

Alastor's smile thinned, not completely leaving his face, but certainly finding itself in it's smallest form. Something was quivering in the void that was his stomach, an instinctual feeling that smothered any urges to wake Charlie for assistance. He could hear his static crackling from Angel's quaking body, linking weakly with what remained within Alastor. The noise drew him closer to the arachnid face in an effort to show him the correct spot to start the process, small tendrils of red and black smoke doting the areas around Angel's forehead and temples as the static-like buzz stretched out for a stronger host, yearning for something that could hold it's destruction properly.

With little to no hesitation, only the mild thought of how he would explain himself had anyone woken while he did this, Alastor's right hand came up to rest against Angel's temple.

The reaction to his touch was immediate, all together not what Alastor was expecting.

_Angel Dust let loose a relieved noise. A pleased groan, if you will._

His head moved- although likely to be an subconscious act- pressing eagerly against Alastor's palm as if his body knew that it would help get rid of the unseen pain inside of his head, like it knew that it would help him wake up faster. Alastor reveled at the scene, a relief coursing through his person as the stagnate powers that had been festering inside of Angel's skull suddenly became poised to lunge up into his hand. He could feel the welcoming surge of shocks travel up his arm, coiling with a shudder around his spine before finally branching out into the rest of his frame.

It felt nice to have some of himself back.

But the victory was short lived as a pair of magenta eyes blearily opened up in a mild panic. Alastor could see the pain that Angel was holding, just by the glint in those mismatched iris'. The way they narrowed before squeezing shut in order to ward the feeling away- it would have been hard to watch the internal battle, had Alastor not been so relieved that the other male had actually woken up.

A heavy breath left Angel, rattling in his chest with the undertones of a gurgling after-sound that gave off the indication of nausea that was being held back with a surprising amount of restraint from the weakened spider. Angel's left arm lifted in order to touch the hand against his temple, a questioning dip in his brow as Alastor watched the ungloved appendage come closer- _usually he would be opposed to this kind of touch- but Alastor couldn't let his power crawl it's way back inside the spider's mind now._

_He'd just have to fight through the uncomfortable feeling._

The clawed hand tentatively prodded at Alastor's gloved one, taking notice of the fabric, tracing it carefully to make sure his fogged up brain was shaping the thing correctly, before Angel warily placed his hand on top of Alastor's and pressed it farther against his head to take in the soothing sensations it brought to his frazzled mind.

And though Alastor's arm shuddered distastefully at the touch, he found himself baring through it as Angel suddenly had the urge to glance over to look at him.

The spider's expressions changed in a flurry within the span of two seconds, it was a blink and you'd miss it scenario, as Alastor curiously watched as the pale male's face moved from curiosity, to a brief pleasant smile, to then confusion, before something conflicting shook his gaze and it turned into a surprised horror. He quickly removed his hand, keeping it hovering over Alastor's with only a few inches being the space between them, he looked guilty, then conflicted, then confused again as Alastor patiently awaited the spout of words he knew Angel was going to babble.

Angel's eyes narrowed, and then he blinked rapidly as if he were trying to clear his vision properly.

And then to Alastor's annoyance he moved himself around to look at him properly, moving up to prop against the back of the couch in order to give the male a once over. A movement that was automatically met with a wince of pain that jolted his stomach and lower body. But Angel couldn't be bothered by the pain, _no- he wanted to know why the fucking Radio Demon was touching his face._

"The fuck you doin' Smiles?"

_And Angel was back._

Alastor withheld the urge to roll his eyes, instead narrowing the glowing crimson optics down in order to muster up a irritated stare, keeping his smile tempered down as to not frighten the weak body below. "Getting the residue out of your body," The red demon took a glance down to Angel's bare stomach and squinted distastefully at the bruise, "you took quite the beating." His answer was quiet, free of radio tin, in attempts to convince the ex porn star of his good intentions.

Angel blinked, an spark in his eyes, as he tested his body for questionable aches- a movement that had Alastor raising a brow.

"..Did.. did _we have sex_?"

The sound of a record ripping to an abrupt stop sounded from the redhead, startling both the males, as Alastor tried to wrap his head around _why_ Angel asked such a ridiculous question-

How did he get _sex_ of all things..out of-..

Alastor paused in a slow realization, before a exasperated expression pulled at his ashen features- _The aches of pain, the mention of 'residue'..._ Okay..so Alastor could have worded that a lot better- but, we're going to move on..

Visibly recoiling, the redhead pulled his hand back instead of moving forward to press against Angel's forehead again, his abrupt movement from before had jostled his monocle from it's spot in front of his right eye and now the small trinket was hanging lower and crooked.

They both stared for a moment, at a loss for words before Alastor hastily fixed his monocle and faced the soft minded man lying before him once more.

Struggling to gather himself, the red clad demon manages to force a soft bark of a laughter before responding, " _Absolutely_ not, my dear. You got hit by my powers," He explains, not missing the way Angel frowned, "I'm only getting the residue of my powers, out before they kill you. So- if you will-" His hand went back out towards the other male's head, attempting to place it against his forehead again.

Angel couldn't argue with that, his head still felt like it was buzzing, with a gentle nod, he moved his head forward in order to place it against the smiling demon's awaiting hand. Withering underneath the warm touch as it seeped the irritating buzz away, "Well as heartbreakin' as that is, I'm to happy with this ta be mad at ya.." Angel mumbled, pressing against Alastor's hand, before leaning back to lay down once more.

A sigh, though quiet, broke through Alastor's nose. It was tired sounding, but the tension was leaving his body after Angel dismissed the thought of them..having..-

A shudder ran down Alastor's spine, discomfort crawling its way back into the red demon's person, with a vengeance, as the male kept himself busy with treating Angel. Suppressing the shiver that coursed through his arm, Alastor carefully threaded his hand through Angel's hair in order to press the heel of his palm against the other's forehead.

Once doing that he convinced himself that there was no more static left in Angel's head.

_But._

There was still more in the rest of the spider's body.

Mainly his torso, but it could have gone further- which Alastor wasn't too pleased about, but that couldn't be helped. 

Pulling his hand away, Alastor addressed the problem further when Angel cracked his eyes open in a questionable fashion. "You were hit in the stomach," He began quietly, "It's where most of your pain is, and it's the main reason I was pulled to your head. With you awake, it will be easier to get the static out."

_I hope._

Angel lifted a brow at this, but nodded as if unbothered; he carefully maneuvered himself to be flat against the couch, not even bothering with taking a look at his bruised midsection, until he was comfortable sitting back with his head propped against the arm of the sofa. Alastor curiously watched him, the thought of the wounded area being numbed up now that Angel was awake..

His brows furrowed, _surely it wouldn't be so simple._

Cautiously, a gloved hand found it's way over to the bruised spot on Angel's stomach. 

Only for a strike of electricity to lunge upwards and slash against his palm.

The cut was shallow, and was healed over within the second, but that's not what startled Alastor- no- what startled Alastor was the sudden claws that tore through the arm of his suit jacket, digging into his bicep with surprising strength as Angel's body shot up and hunched over. A hand came up to slap against his mouth, muffling the cry of pain as Angel curled in on himself, jostling Alastor's hand and drawing blood on his arm.

A hiss broke through Alastor's teeth, white noise swarming around them in a startled pulse, but with surprising restraint he was able refrain from clawing back at Angel.

"Okay- that _hurt_ real bad-" Angel heaved, his shoulders shaking. Alastor suppressed another shudder, his head tilting as he helped Angel ease back, "This is why you needed to be awake. _That_ went far better than it did when you were asleep. You nearly clawed my eyes out before." He sighed slightly, his ears flicking, "But we will have to get rid of it."

Angel let out a wet laugh through his pain, irked, as he knew he was about to be in for more, "You fuckin' deserved it, Smiles. Takin' advantage of a man sleepin'."

"I could just leave you to suffer." Alastor shot back, taking Angel's spiteful words as just the pain talking, barely registering the way the spider's hand clung desperately to his own.

"You'd miss me too much if ya left me to die, Al, we both know it-" The spider swallowed thickly, trying to get his nerves to calm, "I know you're sweet on me, ya don't havta lie to my face 'bout it."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, my dear." Alastor's grin widened as Angel snorted, his left hand briefly coming up to flip a _certain gesture_ off towards the sarcastic redhead, before he muttered a quiet ' _Asshole'_ under his breath.

Before Alastor could start again, Angel exhaled heavily, before rolling his shoulders- albeit awkwardly, as he was laying down again- before he brought the hand that was intertwined with Alastor's down in order to press against his stomach. Alastor's ears shot up, feeling the shock again, his body going rigid as Angel squirmed in agony underneath his touch. It looked like it hurt just as much as the first time, but the pale male was containing his own wails with sheer will alone.

Color Alastor impressed, the red male guessed, watching woefully as the male arched and jerked against his palm.

Not even a minute in and Angel already looked like he was on the verge of passing out..

Alastor's ears folded back as he realized they'd be at this for a while.

_Oh boy, this was going to be a long night.._

* * *

At some point, it had gotten easier.

Angel had stopped squirming about an hour into the process, but had yet to get a proper breath into his lungs, and his hold on Alastor's hand hadn't let up one bit. In fact it had gotten bad enough to where the red clad demon's hand was aching, while his glove was starting to tear at the seams as Angel's claws dug into them.

He would be mad, but he probably deserved the treatment..

Now they were around four hours in, and the static in Angel's torso was finally starting to let up- thank the gods to, Alastor was getting twitchier the longer he held his palm against the other's stomach.

They had made small talk, tried their best to keep the attention off the injuries and unwanted contact, and it had been working.

Through the hours, they moved easily through 'How the hell are we going to get out of this mess?' To 'we need to talk about something else before you rip my arm off'

Angel had smirked at the choice of words, staying quiet for a moment as he chewed on his lip before choosing a story, "You rememba that I told you that I was in a mafia, right?" Alastor nodded, his ears perking to let Angel know that he had his attention, "Well, there was this one job, me an my brotha an some other random guy were doing, it was a really long time ago I think one of our first'uns togetha. We were told by my pa ta go and rough some guy and his son up, ya know? The regular beat'em ita submission type a shit."

"I wouldn't know that- but I understand the concept well enough." Alastor shrugs slightly, his grin thinning into a smile as Angel shot him with a look, "Yeah- yeah, I get it, you're more of a 'Predator- Prey' type a man. But anyways, we manage ta take the guys by surprise, and do the regular business, and the kid's dad wasn't exactly complyin'. So Arakniss- my brotha, but I think I told ya that already- has this stupid fuckin' idea and tells the goon behind me ta go and take the kid somewhere else an hold 'em hostage." His breath turns into a snicker, "So this dumbass behind me goes an grabs this poor kid by the collar and starts draggin' 'em to the back room of the store and closes the door. We were about to get back to negotiation when suddenly a shot goes off. All of us turn pale-"

Alastor's ear twitched, the channels of his radio tin switching briefly before settling on a new, calming, tune.

"-And the guy starts screaming at my brotha, demandin' that he be let go before he breaks from my hold ta get ta his kid, and I didn't really stop 'em cause I didn't think the fuckin' moron on the other side of the door would go so far as ta shoot a kid, but man was I wrong. Me and Arackniss followed after the guy, and kinda poked our heads around him ta see the damage-" He let out a small snort at the memory seemingly replaying in his mind, "This dumbass-" Angel takes a breath, making sure to tell his tale in a quiet tone as to not wake the others, "This- _absolute moron_ , is on the floor _screamin_ ' bloody murder, holdin' onto his bleedin' crotch, while the kid is standin' ova him yellin' at him ta shut the hell up." 

Oh that certainly got Alastor's attention.

Now wide eye'd the red clad demon turns to face the snickering male.

"I ain't ever laughed so hard in my life, no- I'd of never even _thought_ that anyone could get shot in the balls and it'd be that funny! And it was a bad time to start laughin' too cause Arackniss got on my ass about it. Tellin' me that, that was one of our boys that had gotten hurt- but I could tell that fucker was holdin' his own laugh back cause he was coverin' his mouth. We postponed the negotiations in order to get the guy back to the den, but when we got back my pa was on the fucker like a dog on a fox, poor bastard neva got ta have kids, but he lived longa than me so I guess that's a win."

"That's..quite the tale." Alastor chuckled quietly, his hand flexing against Angel's fur, before he carefully lifted up to see if there was anymore static that would follow.

There was none that sparked up or jolted away, and suddenly Alastor found himself relaxing completely, "Just in time too, it seems we've finished the worst part."

"That's a fuckin' relief." Angel grinned, sinking further into the cushions.

Alastor flicked his ear at the crude language, but continued nonetheless, he wanted to make sure that every tic of static was gone. "Anymore areas that felt like that one?"

"My abdomen feels weird, but you got most of the tingles when you were getting my stomach." Angel broke their hands apart to tenderly press against his own lower abdomen, a questioning look befalling his face before he winced, "It's still there but I can wait till morning if you're tired-"

"Nonsense." Trying not to think to hard about the area, Alastor gently pressed against the area, below Angel's hand, barely breaking the hemline of the spider's sweatpants, before static could be felt shooting up his arm once more. If to make matters worse, Angel's breath hitched at the contact, a red hue taking his face before he coughed into his left hand awkwardly.

Quickly he tries to play that off, "So ah..Smiles- what about you? You got a funny first time story?"

"Well worded." Alastor comments bluntly, unable to stop himself- perhaps Angel was starting to rub off on him- "But no, I never had a ' _fun'_ first mishap like your own-"

"..Are we gonna skim over the fact that you basically just made a sex joke?"

"Yes we are- now- "

" _But_ -"

"Shut your mouth." The grinning fiend warned, a dry threat at the back of his throat that never came out as he avoided that conversation like the plague. Angel was nearing the edge of a shit-eating grin, but managed to stop himself before claws dug into his abdomen.

"Okay- Okay- Don't get your panties in a twist," A fist reared up against Angel's cheek to hold his head up, "So no interesting stories? No... _actual_ first times?" Alastor shot the taller male with a look, "Those are stories that will not be shared." The redhead offered, before he suddenly stiffened and glanced back down at Angel's abdomen, his brow furrowing at the twitch he felt underneath his palm.

That was odd.

But the strange feeling was gone as soon as it came. Pulling his hand away, Alastor felt a relieved smile curl at his already smiling face before he nodded to Angel, "That seems to be the last of it, unless there's more?"

"Ya know, Smiles- I was gonna make you go fartha down my pants, just to see you squirm-" There was a snap before _something_ warm covered Angel's exposed torso; looking down Angel was met with a soft red blanket that had been draped over his frame. Glancing back up the spider watched as Alastor quickly turned his chair back to face the fire, minding his left leg as he did, before he hastily put an end to whatever Angel was about to say.

"- _That's enough of that_. Get some rest- the others will be happy to see you alive and well in the morning."

Angel watched as the deer demon focused in on the fire while turning his jazzy tunes back to a higher volume as a shrill scream echoed from outside the building, and for some reason he couldn't stop the feeling that tightened up inside his chest.

With a broad smile, the arachnid laid back against the couch and closed his eyes.

"G'night Smiles. Thanks for touchin' me~"

_"Go to sleep, Angel."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the Angel and Alastor Dialogue wasn't terrible, I tried really hard to keep them in character- but I've always felt that Alastor could crack a lewd joke (A small one) every now and then.


	8. Listening For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! I waved at my shadow and it waved back!  
> I feel powerful!
> 
> Excuse my humor~ Enjoy the chapter xD

Nifty woke when her pillow, Husk's wing, was pulled out from underneath her head. With a awkward squeak, the female was tumbling after Husk's retreating form as the tom stood from his curled spot against the couch. Wrapped tightly in her blanket, Nifty hit the floor with a small thud, the noise catching Husk's attention enough to where he'd turn around to look down at her.

His arm was still in the makeshift sling, thankfully, but it had obviously healed overnight, Nifty could tell just because of the sober look on his face. He didn't seem to have any pain- or if he did, he couldn't feel it in the moment.

"Oh." Amber eyes blinked, holding some semblance of guilt, surprisingly looking far more awake than he should have been- Husk probably didn't get hangovers anymore- "Sorry, Nifty." A clawed paw was offered to the smaller demon as she unraveled herself from the cocoon, "It's okay!" She chirped back, keeping her voice down for the others, while taking the offered hand- letting Husk pull her to her feet, "Thank you!"

A sober smile took the cat demon's face for a moment, and then it was gone. With a tired look Husk watched as Nifty gazed around to check on the others-

Charlie and Vaggie had barely moved; if anything the latter had only buried herself further into Charlie's chest, snoring loudly as she hugged the blonde's midsection loosely. They looked incredibly cozy against the wall as Charlie's head lolled to the side, her mouth wide open in a unattractive display of deep slumber. If one looked closely a trail of drool could be seen coming out of the corner of her mouth.

Nifty couldn't be jealous of them- Husk had been a good pillow. She grinned at their sleeping faces before looking back up at Husk brightly, taking notice of the male rolling his eyes before his ears perked up in confused.

And then she noticed too, the _quietness_ of the room.

As in, there was no jazzy tune that filled the air- no static to be heard-

 _Where was Alastor?_.

A brief panic settled in Nifty's body, and quickly she was peering around Husk to see if Alastor was still in his chair- and for some reason she was caught totally off guard when she saw the red clad demon lounging comfortably back in his seat, ears flicking every so often in attention even though his breathing was slow and his eyes were closed.

But what the most noticeable thing-

_The one thing that Nifty just couldn't take her eyes off._

_Alastor wasn't smiling._

His mouth was pulled into a line, nothing of a frown, but a resting expression. He looked and seemed to be completely relaxed, and with the black shape curling around his neck, he seemed to be in a dreamless mindscape.

_Wait._

_Black thing around his neck?_

Nifty warily looked closer at the _thing_ wrapped loosely around Alastor and the back of his chair. Coiled around his neck, taking deep mocking breaths, feigning sleep, was Alastor's shadow. Resting lazily, draping itself over him, while it kept it's limbs limply over Alastor's shoulders wrapping around his collar in a reenactment of a hug from behind. It kept it's face- even though the large rack adorning the top of it's head, quite literally, _phased_ through Alastor's skull, it was nuzzled quietly into the crook of it's master's neck.

Blue luminescent, orbless, eyes blink in the direction of Nifty and Husk, watching haphazardly as they inspected it's master's vulnerable form. Like a idle cat, the shade carefully pulls it's head up from where it had nuzzled into Alastor's neck, the ears upon it's head popping up as it blinked owlishly at the two. 

Now Alastor heard his shadow's inner questions, the ones that never made it out to those in his company, the shade was sentient- but it couldn't outwardly talk to anyone other than himself- it was smart, cunning, a jester of sorts that liked to toy with things it found amusing. 

So when it's chitters began to sound confused, Alastor found himself awake and under the stares of his two oldest friends.

Something twitched inside of his chest, embarrassment for being caught sleep, near belittlement for his smile not being present as he dozed off, he was unsettled- his body crawling under their silent stares. 

But he kept himself calm.

His smile reappeared with flawless ease, his exhaustion filtering away for his forced energy in the moment, while a mild warning buzzed into the air as his static returned with a growling undertone.

"I do hope you'll keep quiet about that." 

Nifty shook her head hurriedly, never one to anger her boss, but her feline friend had other thoughts.

Husk's ears faltered, nearly flattening against his head; he was threatened by the deer's sickly sweet tone, but he was never one to step back from a threat at least not without spitting out a retort of his own for good measure, "The hell, Al? You sleeping isn't weird. We all fuckin' do it- You really think we'd care?" "Y-Yeah!" Nifty piped in, "You not smiling is what took us off guard, but- it's not weird, just a little surprising."

Before Alastor could get his next words in, his shadow cautiously brushed against the side of his face- _the damn affectionate thing_ \- as comforting as it was, it knew that Alastor never liked to be stared at, not unless he _wanted_ to be stared at. Attention is something he craved; but when he didn't want it, _he didn't want it_.

But Alastor was ever the showman. _Always_ had something working through the problem in his mind.

And his shadow's cooling body against his own was what brought that realization back into play.

"Oh, but of course!" Alastor's voice strained as he rose from his seat, his backside aching from the position, and his leg cursing him for standing. His left leg nearly buckled, but with a new sense of grace, and with refreshed senses, Alastor's first reflex was to call for his microphone in order to use it as a prop. It settled in his hand, knocking against the floorboards, and held up his near tottering frame as he grinned at his comrades.

"I meant no ill intent behind that, my shadow is quite the shy body when it comes to sleep." He turned the attention to the shadow, hiding his own discomfort in order to place it on another. He ignored the indignant squawk that snarled in his mind as the shade's head snapped towards him, and ran a clawed finger under the tooth bared shadow's chin, further mocking the poor thing, "You gave it quite the fright, when waking it up!"

The shadow let out a silent huff, it's shoulders moving dramatically with the gesture as it slunk off of Alastor's shoulders to then scurry away towards the kitchen area, all the while, Alastor's grin broadened with amusement- maybe a little guilt for putting his trusted mimic in this sort of situation- but amusement nonetheless.

Husk and Nifty watched the interaction wildly, torn between relief and confusion, before Husk settled on mild annoyance, and Nifty's perky attitude returned with frivolous intentions, "Oh! I hope it's not too upset! I'll be sure to apologize later-" Alastor's posture loosened and his grin thinned to a warm smile, "You do that Nifty, I'm sure it will appreciate it."

"Now!" Alastor straightened back up, keeping his voice level as to not disturb the other sleeping bodies, ignoring the pain in his leg as he took a testing step towards the kitchen, "I'm going to make some coffee, and breakfast. Will you be joining me, my dear?" Red on red eyes refocus on Nifty, squinting pleasantly as the small female nodded enthusiastically, "Sure!"

Husk quickly cut in, "You sure you should be walkin' just yet? Looks to me like you're still a little unsteady."

" _Nonsense_ , Husker." Alastor waved him off, sauntering over towards the swinging door with Nifty padding alongside him, "I am perfectly fine! Although, could you be a dear and wake the others for me? I'm sure they'll want something after falling asleep without any lunch or dinner, and I plan on making a sizable breakfast meal."

Husk could only stare unimpressed as the elder demon waltzed away, his arms crossing over his chest as his tail lashed irritably behind him.

_"Load a bullshit..I swear."_

* * *

Charlie was pulled from sleep by the smell of food, her brain foggily registering the mug of coffee being shoved into her face as she 'gracefully' rose from the floor after Vaggie's already awake form. Her hair had been pulled from it's clean ponytail looking unnaturally rugged, but she didn't seem to care all that much. She grabbed the cup from Husk's awaiting hand, and plopped down on the nearest loveseat- waiting patiently, nearly falling asleep again- for Vaggie to return from the bathroom.

Part of her wondered why she fell asleep on the lobby floor, what had she been doing the day prior to make her so exhausted that she would find a bed on the floorboards-..had she planned a sleep over with her staff and forgotten that she had?

And then it clicked.

They were down here, huddled together, because Hell was being torn into by Angels. They were down here because they were afraid of being slaughtered if they strayed to far from each other.

_Oh.._

Something twisted inside of Charlie's gut, drawing her normal perky attitude through the muck as she suddenly found herself sinking into her shoulders. It had been such a quiet and peaceful morning too, why did she have to think about _that_ of all things? She suddenly felt lost- why was this happening, and why was it so important that she lived through it? Sure- leading Hell down a new path would be fantastic, but.. _did they really have to start from scratch?_

_Hell was going to get demolished, renovated, so to speak. And it started it's changes by making the once busy streets of Pentagram City turn into nothing but a ghost town.._

_Angels were slaughtering her people like swine. Not a care in the world as the wayward souls ran and screamed for the lives._

A sigh broke through the girl's mouth, a hopeless look crossing her face, she tipped the mug up getting a swallow in, before she set the warm cup down on a nearby side table. 

At least her fam- _friends_ were okay.

Husk had told her that Alastor had worked on Angel throughout the night, and that the spider was doing far better, all Angel had to do was get some rest and then he'd be as fit as a fiddle! The cat demon had also voiced that Alastor was the one making breakfast, quietly adding that he was still minding his leg, but he seemed to be in a better state than the day before. That Nifty was keeping herself busy, but was otherwise holding fast. And when Charlie asked about it, Husk had lifted his once injured arm in a show that it was perfectly fine, he claimed that he barely felt it catch now and that it didn't hurt anymore.

And Vaggie seemed to be keeping herself together. So..

Charlie decided that it would be counted as a win.

_It could be worse, we could of lost someone or we could have all died yesterday._

_We're going to survive._ Charlie dismissed collecting her scattered thoughts as she scanned the lobby for able bodies. Mostly Alastor, only because she had a favor to ask of him if he'd allow it.

Dark eyes halt just in time to see Angel rouse from his slumber, the red flannel blanket that he'd snuggled up with falling off his shoulders as he pushed himself up from the couch. His sweater had been tugged up towards his chest, but as he sat up Charlie could catch the darkened, swelling, spot where Alastor's magic had entered, but Angel didn't seem to care that much as he stretched out his aching limbs.

Fangs flash as the spider yawned loudly, mismatched eyes blearily focusing on Charlie's form, before the corner of Angel's lips quirk up in a smile, "Did'ja miss me, toots?"

A sense of déjà vu swarmed over the blonde, and she returns the smile fondly, "You're always missed when you leave Angel." She quirks a brow, "You make a lady worry, when you do stuff like that."

"Oh woe is me," Angel snickers, "I come back after-" He takes a good look at the clock on the wall, " _six- seven- eight-_ What? Over thirteen hours of being asleep, and I'm getting the 'You were almost dead look'?" 

"S'cause you _almost were_ dead, kid." Husk offers bluntly, whacking the back of Angel's head, with his free hand, as he passed by -albeit gently- and ignoring the grumbling protests that spouted from the spider. Though he quickly recovered from the nudge to fire back, happily taking the offered mug of over-sweetened coffee, as he crossed his lower set of arms loosely over his stomach, "Don't tell me yous were worried about me, Husky?~ Cause I won't let you live that down, if ya were." 

A groan resounded from the tom, but he made no move to further the conversation.

"I'm takin' it as ya missed me, _kitty_!" Angel cackled at Husk's silence, before he suddenly winced and cradled his aching stomach. "oh-" The surprised noise hissed through his clenched teeth, as he started to rub gentle circles against the bruise- probably irritating it more, but it seemed to soothe the pain- with a strained breath Angel was quick to correct his slip, " _That_ didn't feel too good." 

Charlie could only blink softly at the forced grin, her smile turning into a downwards worry curl.

"Angel?"

A white furred hand quickly came up to stop her from saying anything else, mismatched eyes warning even though they stayed calm and collected through the throbbing aches, "I'm fine, toots. Just a little aching s'all..No need to make a fuss ova lil ol' me."

Despite his reassuring words, Charlie's worry continued to eat away at her conscious- delaying her reaction as her phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. Angel's extended palm turned into a sharp point as he quickly gestured to the buzzing device with a surprised expression. That seemed to spur Charlie forward, with a soft noise of surprise she dove for the phone and brought it up to eye level in order to thumb at the locked screen.

**_'Give the phone to The Radio Demon, and turn on your television.' - Unknown Contact._ **

"The fuck?" Charlie inquired, piercing iris' narrowing at the message, scraping over the words like they were the hardest thing to read before she lifted her head in a uncertain display of a fish out of water. Angel and Husk were watching her expectantly, but turned to each other when she found herself speechless.

"Uhm... _Alastor_?" She calls out, looking between the other two males in order to watch the kitchen door.

 _"Yes, Charlie?"_ His radio tinned voice calls right back, sounding merry and refreshed.

"C-Can you come here for a second?"

There was a long pause, a clatter of pans, and a distinct giggle coming from Nifty as she ushered the red clad demon out of the doorway- claiming that she could finish the cooking without him. The door opened, and Alastor strolled out looking better than worse, his jacket had been discarded and his sleeves had been rolled up (As he usually did during cooking) while the scars adorning his scorched arms seemed to pop under the bar's many lights, his microphone still helped balance his weight off of his left leg but he seemed a lot better.

He smiled pleasantly down at the girl, a friendly blink towards Husk, while an appraising look befell Angel for a moment.

"What can I do for you, my dear?"

"W-Well, the phone said to give it to you." Charlie stated bluntly, not quite sure how to word it, as she stuck the pink device out, screen facing the male, for him to look and see. 

Angel could be heard snickering in the background as Alastor craned his head back to make his eyes focus on the small text, a clawed hand coming up to lightly adjust his monocle while his grin strained in a confused and distasteful fashion. If Charlie weren't so conflicted, she would of laughed at the expression.

"Oh how vexing, I quite despise these little trinkets-" His hand came out to better angle the screen, a gesture he usually did when one of the younger beings in his presence tried to show him something on their phones. But when his hand came into contact with the dark fuchsia case a small pulse of red emitted from the phone. It boiled in Charlie's and Alastor's hand, leaving them both with a mild burn, while it climaxed through the rest of the hotel with a red wave of warm air . Charlie reacted first, a surprised yelp barking out of her throat as she quickly tossed the phone onto the loveseat she was previously occupying.

Alastor however had gone stiff as a board. 

Red on red eyes were blown wide, distant recovery dancing in his usual tightly kept composure, his smile sharp with surprise while his hand had refused to move from the position it was last in. But the most noticeable thing was that his usual static wasn't present anymore, everything was just _quiet_ for a long moment. 

"What the fuck was that?!" Husk snaps, his fur fluffing out- once more giving him a 'burnt cottonball' look- the tom's ears were back and his eyes were slits while Angel looked just as startled, "Ya alright, Charlie?" The spider questions, managing to translate what Husk was trying to get out.

The blonde nodded, gently blowing on her palm as she peered around Alastor's unmoving form, "Y-yeah.. _I'm_ okay, but-.." Her eyes move towards Alastor, just in time to see him inhale sharply.

Angel didn't see it though.

With a concerned dip in his brow, the male scooted farther from his seat in order to look at Charlie properly, "What? Did it get Al too? S'he alright?"

The static returned, both sound wise and _visually_ , the area around Alastor's form jolted from side to side as the Radio Demon recollected himself from the scare, before he quickly turned to Charlie and _stared._

Charlie faltered under his scrutinizing gaze, her skin crawling as his glowing crimson stare seemed to spear into her soul, while his grin flickered with a backlight of unsettling yellow. The blonde held her breath, holding back the urge to step away as Alastor slowly blinked.

"Well _that_ was unpleasant!"

The blonde exhaled as the deer demon shook his head in an effort to clear away to fuzziness in his brain. With a gentle touch she carefully steadied Alastor's wavering form before questioning him, "Al..what was that?"

His grin returned to it's rightful size, a gloved hand coming up to pluck her hand off his shoulder before he turned to address her fully, "Well it seems your father has gotten around to contacting you, my dear. What a shame he had to use me in order to do that-" His gaze squints in a moment's thought, the hand that was holding Charlie's releasing the girl in order for him to tap his chin inquisitively, "Funny, I'm not quite sure how Lucifer was able to do that little trick, his powers never really rifled through frequencies, _especially not my own_." He then shrugs and curls his claws together, summoning his shadow to his side.

The shade scurries from the kitchen, before forming beside Alastor- the antlers adorning it's head whisking upwards in smoky tendril display, making it clear that the creature standing beside Alastor couldn't possibly be _a full on shadow_. Empty, blue, luminescent eyes took notice of it's master's company before they stilled on Alastor's form,

"You will be required soon, my mimicked friend!" His grin turned charming, trying to lighten the shadow's still bitter mood as he ushered Charlie towards the television adorning the corner of the bar, it's angle showing clear vision to patrons and bartender alike.

But Charlie was still confused, having _just now_ caught up to Alastor's thought process, " _That_ was my dad? What did he want?"

"Yes indeedy!" The deer demon confirmed halting right underneath the television before he set a expecting look onto his shadow. The dark shape blinked before rushing out of the hotel in search for it's target. "And to answer that other question; he informed me that I should _show_ you what is currently happening in the castle."

"Show me?"

"Yes, my dear." Alastor's focus turns to the television, his ears pricking as soon as his fingers touched the device, while static buzzed to life on the screen. Angel, always the one to pick out a flaw, spoke up having crowded around the two with Husk by his side, "Eh..Smiles, ya know you're the ' _Radio Demon_ ' right? Can you actually show us anything on a flat screen?"

A laugh bubbled from the deer demon's throat, a fanged smile pulling at his mouth as he glanced over his shoulder, "Why of course I can, darling! Just because I enjoy a radio's company doesn't mean I've never been able to tune into the more modern technology." Alastor's grin suddenly turned smug, " How on earth do you think your little television shows and cellular phones came to be?"

Angel blinked at the thought, _Okay.. so maybe Alastor wasn't as old-fashioned as he assumed._ "But still, I thought ya hated tv and phones and shit?"

Alastor granted the taller male a shrug, turning back to the static television, "The only reason I haven't stepped into the _easier_ era, is because there is no need to, not yet anyways. I've always liked the air of a harder challenge, and for the longest time, the ones I call my enemies have thought of me as a..' _lesser_ ' being, simply because I never expressed outward curiosity for such things. Though yes, I do despise your rectangular boxes, they come in quite handy if you catch the right frequency." His grin turns sinister, "I've been five steps ahead of them the entire time, and they've yet to notice."

Suddenly a disappointed expression crosses the red demon's face, irking a frustrated dip in his brow, "Then again, I guess now that Hell is under attack I won't be able to surprise them with it. Mm, a shame.. Oh well!" His upbeat jazz returns as his focus goes back to the television. "We'll have to give my shadow a moment to settle in a well hidden spot to watch them, but as soon as it does we'll be able to finally get to the bottom of this mystery!"

"So..My dad wants to show us why the Angels are in Hell?" Charlie reiterated with a confused look to the grinning fiend.

"Not just that, my dear. He's going to show us what the 'Big Man Upstairs' has in store for us all."


	9. The Father, The Daughter, and The Unholy Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst-
> 
> Archangel's will talk in Bold and Italic letters, and the Angels will just talk in Italics, mkay? Mkay! Enjoy the chapters, ya knuckleheads! 
> 
> Executioners will sit in the back and stare at you because they can't talk.

The richer district was always a sight to behold. Large apple orchards that curved around a mighty castle-like homestead, dotting the area in more luscious green than, Hell's normal, black and red for once. Lucifer's claim, out of every spot of territory available, seemed to be the _only_ stretch of land that had some semblance of the living world in it. Anything out of the King's turf was back to a scorched landscape that was more depressing than appealing. Though it _was_ a nasty clash of colors, seeing bright _living_ green grass face up against the multiple shades of red that swarmed, what most would call, Hell's sky.

Alastor vividly remembered talking about it, telling his afterlife-long friend that it looked like the holidays had befallen the place! Of course it was said out of joking humor, and Lucifer had taken kindly to it, Alastor knew better than to upset the King.

But coming up on such an.. _alive_..looking area, it was as refreshing as it was downright strange. Alastor remembered the first time he'd been summoned by Lucifer, he had come up so cocky and laid back, that he was sure he had nothing to worry about if the elder demon decided to try anything. Alastor had been confident of his own powers, that he'd have more than enough juice to get away unscathed and give the other man a nasty surprise to remember him by.

That day he was met with the unsettling sight of the King of Hell standing in the gateway of one of his many orchards, a few companion demons in his presence that looked far more frightened than they should of been. Alastor remembered being greeted with a surge of respect, praised for gaining such a threatening presence in Hell. It almost felt like he were being admired, but whatever it was it was soon off of Lucifer's face as he quickly turned and offered Alastor a stroll through the large shadow infested trees, with apples that hung off their branches dangling enticingly.

But it wasn't the 'Oh look an apple, looks delicious' type of enticing.

The closest Alastor could get to explaining the feeling would be how he recalled the tale of 'Sleeping Beauty'. Being so entranced with how the apple's looked it felt like you were under some type of spell, and they were dragging you in where you would end up meeting your untimely demise.

He tried to brush that feeling off, but it never left him fully.

_He's also never picked an apple from one the trees, even if Lucifer claimed them to be safe._

Now even if Alastor always felt envious of Lucifer's grove, and his territory, _the way it looked and felt screamed his type of langue_ , he was no idiot; no way in hell would the Radio Demon ever try to fight for such a sight. Though, _yes_ , he could hold his own, Lucifer could and would erase him- and if he didn't and Alastor got through the fight? There were a few that could finish the job. Because there was no way he'd have enough power, or blood in him, to get away in time.

Lilith Magne and her daughter would be the first ones on his tail, that would be for sure.

Not to mention, there was always an.. _off_ air around the trees that grew to be so big. That, and the apples...

_..Yeah, Alastor wouldn't want it anyways._

He's dabbled in to much creepy to know what true horror feels like, and the way the trees, and the fruit they bared, looked just never sat right with the grinning fiend.

Yes, he and Lucifer were good pals, always finding time for the odd chat every now and then, but Alastor wouldn't be lying if he said that he was just a little freaked out by the smaller male. Being the King of Hell for all of eternity, never once being called out or challenged, it put a heavy name on your plaque- A name Alastor knew better than to mess with. And Lucifer knew that. 

He knew that when Alastor came to his calling all those years ago, casual and laid back but still holding a respective aura for the renown elder. Lucifer knew. 

This was a man that could give him a challenge if he oh so pleased; but the red demon was also a man of class, one that knew when a fine line was being drawn. There was no reason for Alastor to try for the throne, nothing he would truly gain further if he tried, and he'd be able to use Lucifer more if he kept the man alive and in power.

So they did what any normal person would do!

They became friends! Or acquaintances?- _Lucifer would rather friends, but Alastor wasn't having it that day_ \- They'd stay out of each other's hair, and keep the respective middle ground that they've always had, though there were bends to these rules if so needed.

_And today, it was needed._

Lucifer Magne, King of Hell, Overlord of Overlords, was in quite the pickle.

And Alastor knew, he knew, and now he had to do what Lucifer had _never_ hoped he would have to ask, or let, the other to do.

He hoped Charlotte was ready..

* * *

Through the ballroom, he could see. 

He could see his subjects cluttered together, packed jam tight, and trying their damnedest to steer clear of the Executioners perching, lingering, watching, from the indoor balconies. He could see the other Overlords he'd summoned taking their places front and center, at his orders, they knew better than to disobey- they knew that he could tell them more.

They just had to be patient. 

They just had to trust in their King.

He had eye'd Vox, the Television Overlord, not that long ago. It took him a moment to catch the other's attention, as he was in the middle of a heated conversation with two of his workers, Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench, those of whom Lucifer had a _severe_ distaste towards- but that didn't matter right now. Time was running short and he was running out of ideas and chances to get word to his daughter. They needed to find a way out of Hell before the worst could happen, and she couldn't be here with him because deep down Lucifer knew that the chances of everyone in this room surviving were slim. 

_But he was trying to find a way for them to get through this without any more deaths, he was really trying! But the Angel's weren't listening to his reasoning._

_Which is what led him to now._

Standing on a stage, after being paraded around like a damn clown, awaiting for his 'superior brethren' to come back to belittle him before they called for the slaughter. If he could get Alastor's attention and ask- or have Charlie beg the man- for a easy escape, as his powers had been all but dampened by the Angelic forces, maybe- just maybe- he could get everyone in here out safely.

Sure this is Hell. But God was Lucifer a sore loser. He hated being cornered like this, and he sure hated that he was at God's disposal. Call him selfish but he wanted to prove the Angels wrong by getting away with everyone, not because he wanted to actually save them, but because he _hated_ being ordered around.

He could be erased..

And for once, Lucifer was actually scared.

But now wasn't the time for nerves, the plan was in motion as the turquoise demon's gaze turned up towards him. Lucifer furrowed his brows and it incited a causal, under the radar, but questioning, blink and stare from the box headed male. Now usually he'd have no part with the other Overlords other than the needed formalities, but there were some things that couldn't be helped. Vox had noticed his friendship with the Radio Demon, his enemy, and in a spout of panic he had attempted to get closer to Lucifer in order to claw up some secrets.

Unfortunately Alastor only sang tunes, _not secrets_.

So the only thing Vox got was a warning and a extended hand of friendship. - _Which surprisingly Lucifer would of rather them stay as acquaintances for once, but of course Vox had been eager to be on the King's good side_ \- Their meetings had only been once in a blue moon, usually only happening if Lucifer needed promotions for his or his wife's music or news about the state of Hell. But they had gotten slightly closer over time, _stress on the_ _slightly_ , even if Vox had _very crude tendencies and his preferred company were degenerates._

But there were some perks. Vox was pretty good at keeping things under wraps- despite being in the filming business, and being an _actual television.._

That, and he was a hell of a actor.

No words were to be exchanged, none were needed in this situation, being under high surveillance they couldn't speak to one another without gaining a curious ear from one to the metal angels perching above. Lucifer's eyes thinned into fine slits, his magic seeping into the floorboards under his feet in order to crawl towards Vox's black shoes. 

It was discreet if one wasn't looking closely. 

And thankfully no one was paying to much attention to them, every other demon was caught up on discussing the current matters, what would be happening to their livelihoods- their territories- the odd family if they had one; and the Executioners were far to busy keeping an eye on the sheer number of demons the King had called to his home for sanctuary.

When his power curled against Vox's shoes, it took a moment for the taller demon to actually get what was being given.

In a blink, a mere moment's heartbeat, a shudder of static whisked off the TV demon and jerked away with impassible speeds. Vox played it off with a sly cough, turning to his still _very alive_ compatriot Valentino as the roach cracked his healing back. They shared a moments glance, checking each other over before they resumed whatever they were doing before-hand. Valentino returned to his quiet conversation with another one of their colleagues, Velvet, while Vox returned his bored gaze to the other demon's around him.

But not after giving Lucifer a acknowledging blink, confirming the deed had been done.

Lucifer could feel himself relax and tense at the same time.

He hoped Alastor would listen..

* * *

He had seen it.

Alastor's shadow.

Alastor's shadow had slipped right underneath an Executioner's nose, grinning cockily up at the metal fiend as it scanned over the crowd to find a well hidden spot. 

It spotted Lucifer first, just as he looked up at it; they made a moments eye contact before Lucifer moved his attention onto his wife as she sat back against one of the plush chairs available. In turn, the horned mistress leveled her husbands gaze with a steely gaze that snarled a warning. She knew too, she'd seen Alastor's shadow far to many times for it to be discreet and hidden under her ever so attentive gaze. 

_Don't screw this up._ Is what Lilith's gaze warned, as she filtered the gentle glare into something fond and warm, _This is our one chance, don't fuck it up._

Lucifer's grin only broadened as he stared back through the crowd, unbothered by his wife's hostilities- charmed by them if anything, before he met Vox's gaze once more with an appreciative close mouth smile.

Vox only turned around without another word, joining Valentino and Velvet's conversation, his own shadow that casted out below suddenly coiling as Alastor's shade hid in the TV demon's figure. 

The shade blinked curiously at the King, but when ignored it knew that this wasn't a good enough spot to watch the scene play out, quickly it scurried off into one of the curtains that gave a good angle of the ball room, as well as Lucifer and Lilith. It settled, taking one last look at the Executioners present before calling back to it's master for the okay to start.

Only Lucifer noticed the eyes peering from behind a curtain, the once soulless blue turning to the familiar shade of crimson that settled the man's pounding heart by a landslide.

They were watching. _Good._

Now they just had to wait..

* * *

"My my, this is quite the predicament!" Alastor chimed, eyes narrowed at the situation playing on the television screen, "They got 'em corner'd.." Angel Dust added quietly, his gaze scanning through the crowd as he tried to pick out any familiar faces, and he wasn't sure how to feel when he didn't see anyone- he partially wondered about his family, his siblings mostly, and his friend Cherri Bomb. But he didn't see them; he hoped if they were dead that they didn't suffer- and if they were alive, God, he wanted them to be hunkered down and hiding for their own good.

But, one could never know.

"Seems that way." Alastor mused, his hands clasped together behind his back tightly as he watched Lucifer's body language intently. "Makes one wonder, no? Why they haven't been slaughtered-" "You said that my father was going to show us the reason behind all this." Charlie objected, "Surely he's waiting-" "Not what I was implying, my dear. I know why Lucifer is still alive and the reasoning behind the Overlords are easily put aside as well- but the lesser demons are like roaches to the Executioners. I'm wondering why _they_ haven't been pulled out to be slaughtered." Alastor shook his head, quickly correcting his fault as he patted the blonde on her shoulder. "Something's amidst, I don't favor this feeling."

"What? Even you get the jitters?" Husk grunted, pulling his eyes from the screen for a moment to fix the elder demon with a judgmental stare, "Thought you were the baddest of the bad." He jabs coldly, the unease of the situation on the screen taking him cruelly "You ain't s'poused to get freaked out."

"Even I know when to pick my fights, Husker. If the Archangel that was in here with us had been any stronger, believe me I wouldn't of been fighting against it's powers, I would have accepted defeat. But something tells me there's more to this than meets the eye," Alastor's ears twitch at the thought, before blinking as the shade on the other side shuddered, "My shadow is even getting uneasy.. perhaps it's the amount of Angels in the room, they're putting off a strong aura?" He mused quietly, eagerly taking in the situation like a how one would read a good book.

"How do you know all of this shit?"

"My shadow is in the middle of it," Alastor countered the tom's inquisitive snark by firing off a retort of his own. "quite hard to miss something you've felt before." He pointed an accusing finger to his injured leg, "As we speak, and they wait, my shadow is loosing focus- he'd best hurry if he wants us to participate."

Charlie watched the exchange with Angel Dust hovering beside her, their eyes going from Husk to Alastor as they spoke, but something that was said before had caught the blonde's attention, something that she had to point out- nothing to crazy was happening on the screen, so they could get a few words in before anything was to start-

"Al." She began, instantly gaining the male's attention as he closed his bared smile, that had been aimed at Husk, to lock onto her form. Charlie wasted no time, "You said, that if the Archangel was any stronger that you would've accepted your fate. Does that mean that you could've warded them off?" Crimson optics fluttered with a vicious delight, he was happy Charlie had caught on to that, but even he wasn't sure himself of the answer to her question.

"I believe I could've taken him by surprise long enough to get everyone out." Alastor offers, knowing the limits to his own abilities, "I'm no King of Hell or Archangel, but I could certainly pin either down long enough to give myself room to get away while leaving some nasty marks."

"Slippery bastard.." Husk muttered, though there was no actual bite to his words as he looked back to the TV; now dawning a familiar face. The golden, windswept, hair that seemed to defy all gravity- the wings of shining white feathers, while a face splitting grin adorned the freckle dappled face. Eyes of shining blue took in the ungodly sight of the demons in the room, scorching them in an alice blue glow that froze most of the fiends to their spots with terror.

"That Angel fucker's there now, and he's got a friend." The tom pointed out, unable to forget the grinning, flawless, face of the Archangel Micheal.

But the Angel beside them, they were new- if not a little..odd? Husk couldn't exactly get a proper read on them as they bounced on the heels of their bare feet beside the far taller being.

The group's conversation was dropped in an instant, Alastor's ears shot up, his focus returning a new sense of vigor, while Angel loomed closer over his and Charlie's shoulders, still trying to find familiar faces within the demons in the crowd. Unable to stop himself from catching the tall figure, adorning a top hat on the top of his head, the plush heart printed coat that swarmed his frame.

Valentino. The crazy roach was alive.

Angel couldn't stop his surprised noise, his eyes from widening in shock as the male on the screen inclined his head away from the large Archangel to back away unnerved. The entire crowd moved with him, a sense of fear seeming to leak through the TV as they all moved backwards in a conjoined fashion. Some flinching and yelling as Micheal's wings snapped open to further their frightened antics.

"Val's there, I thought that asshole was dead!" Angel hissed, unable to stop his heart from pounding and his stomach from churning. Alastor pulled his gaze away from the Archangel in order to find said Overlord, a questioning furrow in his brow at Angel's statement, "You told me that he was killed last night." "I know what I said, Smiles! I'm fuckin' tellin' ya _he was dead_ yesterday! I pushed his corpse offa me!"

"Maybe he wasn't stabbed by a holy weapon?" Charlie offered.

Angel thought on that for a moment, _he hadn't seen any actual blood indications, so that could be the case.._

_But still.._

How the hell did Valentino get out of the studio?

They weren't able to dwell to much on this thought as the Archangel looked down to Lucifer, their mighty grin falling into something fond looking as they addressed the King of Hell. _**"Fancy seeing you here, Lucifer. Quite the humble abode you've made yourself."**_ " _Yes, very quaint!_ " The Angel beside them offered through their own flurry of tunes .

Lucifer's eyes narrowed faintly at the charmed words, unsure of how to take the passive aggressive tone that was being used against him. "How kind of you," He quipped, taking off his top hat and handing it to his wife as she idly watched the three interact, "though your sudden visit is questioning, I'm glad your enjoying your stay in Hell."

 ** _"Oh! I am enjoying the visit!"_** The angelic being tuned enthusiastically, their voice seeking through several different pitches before settling on a higher one while their demeanor faltered into something akin to a child seeing something fun for the first time, that is until they were cut off by their smaller compatriot, " _As am I, this land is very interesting-."_ The Archangel cut back in, not having finished their sentence, though no malice was aimed at the smaller feathered being, **_"-I had the most pleasant time seeing your daughter as well!"_** As the taller being's wings quivered at the recent memory, Lucifer's facade had all but faltered. He could hear the ripping of seams behind him, most likely where Lilith had sunken her talons into the arms of her throne chair at the mention of her daughter being brought up so casually.

_They knew? They knew of Charlotte's whereabouts?_

Despite their rigid forms, the Archangel continued with their chat, voice swooning into a lower and fonder pitch, **_"Ah yes, quite the lovely, devilish, dear. I almost envy you! She's very smart, I tell you, very smart indeed- just very timid. Not to mention the company she keeps is repulsive. I was hoping she would be here for this, you see? We had our own plans, but it seems something must've gone wrong and she couldn't make it."_** Blue eyes settle on Lucifer's form, taking a pleasant note of how the male struggled to keep his nerves under wraps, **_"You did invite her here right, Lucifer? Surely you did..This is the start of 'New Beginnings!'~"_**

 _"Can't start the going away party without the whole family!"_ The smaller Angel agreed.

"Enough of this. Charlie's capable of making her own decisions, if she doesn't want to be here she doesn't have to be." Behind the screen Charlie's worried stricken face softened when a gray hand rested itself on her shoulder. Vaggie had taken her rightful place beside the girl as the entire staff now stood together to watch the tense scene playing out before them. "Get to the point, _why are you holding my people and I here."_

 ** _"Ever so bossy, Lucifer. You haven't changed one bit."_** _"Very rude, very rude indeed."_ The Archangel huffed, bringing their wings back a notch as their hands went to clasp behind their back. Their golden hair flowed with every move they made, whisking back and forth as they shook their head dejectedly, **_"Very well, we shall begin. Aziraphale if you would."_ **_"Why of course!"_ The smaller Angel raised their hand, a smirk foiling their admiring gaze towards the Archangel before a snap resounded.

In the middle of the ballroom floor a ball of fire appeared, pulsing a chilling blue as the smaller angelic being held it together with intense focus. There was no heat coming from it, but there was destruction behind it's sudden creation, Lucifer could feel it's power growing. But he was pulled away from the light show as the Archangel reined his attention back in with a curt cough.

 ** _"Our Father has ordered this purge for one reason. The Day of Reckoning is upon us, and Hell will no longer be needed to hold you sinners. Think of it as a..freedom of sorts."_** Their grin sharpened, **_"A freedom most of you won't be witnessing to it's full potential, if any of you actually get out."_** The Archangel's wings reopened, arching at the tips. The smaller Angel played along, wanting dramatics they urged the blue flame to grow warm as a lowly tuned growl simmered through it's ominous colors.

Lucifer's claws itched to bare, his grin broadening into a distasteful and offended snarl, "The Day of Reckoning? I thought that was a play on words, He's actually going through with it?"

**_"He's a mystery to us as well, Lucifer. No one truly ever knows what goes through His mind, all we know is that He loves and appreciates every last one of his creations."_ **

"Enough to where He'd kill the masses of His own sinners?"

 ** _"Call it tough love if you want."_** The Archangel shrugs, their smile never letting up, **_"They've had their chances to get better, and now that we've no reason to keep them."_** A small chuckle left Micheal, his eyes scanning over the displeased crowd of sinners, but Lucifer reeled them back in, "What's to happen with the living world's sinners?" **_"They'll be living the rest of their days without our Father's help. What happens to them will no longer bare any importance to us, for those in heaven will have made it whole and we'll have no more room for any others."_**

"So you're abandoning humanity..?"

**_"We're doing as we did here, Lucifer. The living world will become the next Hell."_ **

"You can't just do that!" Lucifer objects, "What will happen to _my_ _subjects?_ You can't just tell me that I'm supposed to let them suffer your wrath down here while sitting idly by!"

**_"Well, they have no need to exist anymore. They can't get better, can't go to heaven, so why suffer any further down here?-"_ **

"S'cause most of us don't wanna be better!" A voice from the crowd objects shrilly, to quick to be caught by the Angel's eyes, but he was heard nonetheless. 

"Yeah, alotta us like it down here!" Another braver soul wails out from the back, keeping themselves from sight for their own good.

"You can't just destroy Hell you halo'd bastards!" 

"We've got homes, livelihoods, families! You can't just destroy us because we don't fall under your preferred line of people!"

Blue eyes could only narrow at the backlash.

 ** _"It takes a special type of person to speak when they are not being spoken to."_** The Archangel's tone drops into it's baritone warning pitch, their optics casting an eerie glow through the middle of the crowd, _**"Do not interrupt again, heathens."**_

They turned back to Lucifer, demeanor simmering down and voice tuning back into it's original cheerfulness, _**"Pardon me. As I was going to say- Your rule down here in Hell was your punishment, Lucifer. Your subjects are your punishment, when they indulge in sin, when they die in sin, they come down here to suffer because of you! There is no chance of them actually finding proper redemption because when they come here it's proof they're too far gone to save, just like you and your questions, your boredom, your.. doubts. So yes, it is tough love but learning tough lessons is all about life, and finding the reason of your measly existences down here, knowing your faults; that should be reward enough, no?"**_

"They shouldn't have to be slaughtered, why kill us if you intend to leave the rest?" **_"Because why not?"_** The condescending tone didn't help the situation, nor did it help Lucifer's dying patience. He was getting desperate, and it was starting to take it's toll. He needed an out, he hoped Alastor's ear was still being offered.

The King of Hell fell silent, his slitted eyes never moving off the Archangel as they leaned over to leer at him in a passive aggressive tone, **_"Don't take it to personally, my brother. Just think, once Hell has been scorched over and destroyed, everyone here and topside will be free, no more, they won't have to live in this inferno of suffering! They can finally rest in peace!"_**

Alastor could see it, he could see the curl of Lucifer's fingers behind his back. How they sank into into his pale palm, digging just enough to draw blood, a favor for a favor. He could see in the corner of his eye that Charlie was starting to break down, what she'd witnessed was taking a toll, and now that she knew that Hell was going to be destroyed out of pettiness she couldn't think properly.

She was growing furious, as were the others, but what could they do?

Alastor would see to it himself that Hell's mark would be made on the Angels, a game of cat and mouse if you will- toy with them long enough and then send the rest into a frenzy. Just to show that Hell wasn't about to roll over and give up as Heaven aimed it's hypothetical barrel and teased the trigger. 

The game had been set, and the sight of Lucifer's blood made it all the more real.

"Charlie, if you'd kindly lend me your hand?"

_Time for the show to begin._

A small prick of the finger, and a droplet of blood.

_All out war from here, no take backs._

Lucifer waited, the corner of his gaze still locked onto the flickering red eyes of Alastor's shadow just as they withered shut. He could see, even from his deadly stare down against Micheal that the shadows in the room were pulling taut and stringing together. Tethering to the floor and seeping down from the ceilings without anyone inside of the room even taking notice. The King made a show of looking upset, despite the growing nerves bubbling up in his chest, _He hoped to Satan that this worked._

He'd love to stick it to the Angels that Hell wasn't to be messed with, he just really hoped that Hell could actually live up to that potential.

The Archangel's grin turned amused as they straightened up and spoke towards their smaller comrade, _**"Seems like that's all we'll get for a goodbye! It's been quite the pleasure, Lucifer, it really has! I hope you're death isn't drawn out, I really do. Aziraphale, if you would."**_

_"Of course! This will be quite the show!"_

**_Ï̵̺̭̹̣̠̚ ̵̡̟̭͖̤̯̬̖̈́̔̕Ŵ̷̝̺̭͓̼̟̂͑͐O̵̳̫̗̤͚͐̂͐͆̉̇͒̊̈́͜͝ͅU̵̫̟͚͚͍̳̤͚͋̽̔̅̓L̴̡̠̘̪͇̫̑̌̀̆͂͆̓̚D̷̻̘̘͔̦̟͖͙͙̣̓͆ ̶̛̳̩̲͙̃͑̓̓̒͒̃̈́Ḧ̸͕͙͊A̵̡̛͎̞̰̱̻̲̎͐̒͝V̸̛̛̺̭̥̲̻̹̒̒͘͠͝͠E̷̛̠̞͛̃̆̎̎͘ ̷͍͙͎̯̬͍̓͊̈́̚T̴̡̗̋̈́̾͗̔͗͌́͝O̸̢͍͗̔̀ ̷̡̛̣̗̤̼̥͕͑̂̇͆̾̓̆͝A̷͚͈̙͎͊̈͋̌̒̐͐͝G̷̣͊̿̚R̴̨̞̥̗̼͎̜̣̒͋̌̒̐̉͝ͅḘ̷̞̞̩̏́̇͆͋͐Ę̶͎̮̭͓̄̓̓͌̐̂̅͠͝!̶̘̖̳͐̏͗͝_ **

The two Angels took pause at the jagged voice breaking through the sudden blow of interference, intrigued at the tinned echo behind it as static crackled through the air. Unknowingly to them, right next to Lucifer, a certain shadow was crouched taking the blood given in order to take the situation on fully. It was a risky move, but if it could be pulled off then a show would be in store indeed!

Just not in Heaven's favor.

 ** _"Ah..and who may you be?"_** The Archangel inquired loudly, a thoughtful gleam in their gaze as they stared at the unshaded ceilings- that voice sounded familiar.. The demons in the room had all but pushed themselves to the sides of the room, knowing good and well just who that voice belonged to and what was to come from hearing no reply.

The Angels paused for a moment, listening to the static's buzzing song as they waited for a response.

They never got an one.

Lucifer watched as a portion of the shadows slunk around the ball of fire, while the majority made their way behind the two Angels and began to form into a giant black blob. The room got exceptionally darker as the seconds passed, making it harder to see the demons inside while the Angels bodies seemed to shine while in the dark, The Archangel stared expectantly ahead, awaiting the next move while Aziraphale, by their side, struggled to hold the ball of fire steady.

Something was holding it back, _something was stopping them from releasing the grace.._

 _Something_ had it's hand on the back of their neck and was ripping downwards.

Aziraphale wailed at the talons that dug into their back, sending freezing tremors down their spine, and blood leaking from their back. Their wings shot out through the darkness to shove off the entity behind them. They hit, went straight through their attacker in fact, probably even shocked him too at the amount of restraint the Angel had used in order to keep their grip of the fires. _But he latched on to their wings too._

_He latched on and he didn't let go until those pearly white feathers were off their host._

At the cries of his fellow Angel, the Archangel whipped towards Aziraphale and tried to pull them way from the entity that held on so tightly. They could hear the bones inside of their wings crunching at the sheer force of the shadow's strength, all thanks to Lucifer's and Charlie's blood, and even with the Archangel's insistent tugging they barely relented. Opting to coil tighter around the smaller's wings like pythons on a fragile body, while the larger portion grew to Micheal's height.

They weren't stupid, the Archangel could very easily overpower them if they weren't careful, but taking this moment of startlement was important, they just had to play smart.

And that glowing ball of fire seemed pretty damn smart.

The wave of shadows loomed over Micheal's impressed form, spiny tendrils arched and ready as they suddenly crashed down against the large angelic being. It hit hard, taking Aziraphale with them, as the shadows crashed through the frightened crowd dragging along a silent Archangel and a wailing soldier.

There was an attempt to break free, a lone hand that stuck out and grabbed at the blob blindly. But it was too late for the Archangel to free themselves. The shadows had already sent them up onto their feet and stumbling towards the fire.

If only Alastor could've seen the face Micheal made as their body tensed up at first contact.

All was silent, all except Aziraphale's pained moans. 

And then the blink of bright blue light engulfed all of Hell.


	10. Quite The Show Indeed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO This chapter kicked my butt!  
> I'm so sorry if the updates are kinda out of place and crazy, but I am making this story off the top of my head- as usual all of my stories are like this D:

By the time Lucifer was able to get a breath in, allowing himself to fix back into the ballroom and the situation at hand, he realized that he'd collapsed. His shoulders shook with a surprising amount of effort, but soon there was a clawed hand before his face. Dark eyes focus on the gloved palm, taking notice of the black fabric, before those same eyes trailed up the slender arm of his wife, Lilith.

She looked a little out of it, stunned at best, but she obviously hadn't been as affected by the light. 

The horned mistress took in his ruffled expression with some semblance of worry, her usual collected expression faltering when he made no move to grab for her hand or get himself up. Lucifer wasn't out of breath, but it looked like he had been winded and hadn't found the strength to rein himself back in. Lilith knew he couldn't stay down for long, who knows when things would start heating up again, they needed to get out of here.. Where was Alastor's shadow? Would she have to take them to the Hotel herself? What could she do in this instance? What could anyone do in this instance?

The woman shook her head, _Not the time for worrying right now, first thing's first..I have to get him up._

"My love?" She questioned, baring a sneer around the room as some of the other demons began to recover, "You're okay. Whatever that Doe did it made the Angels flee.." Lucifer cracked a grin, a wheezing chuckle ripping from his throat as he managed to shift to one knee by himself, "You know, Alastor will be offended that you called him a _doe,_ my dear."

"Let it be so, he knows I only jest."

"Oh, but it still wounds me, your Highness. You know calling people names is very rude." 

A tinless, enthusiastic, almost condescending voice sounds off behind Lucifer, and the downed male could see his wife jolt in surprise. "I certainly didn't miss your voice," Lilith brushes her fright down with a pointed snark, her hand going back out to steady Lucifer as he pushes up to sit back on his knees, "but I am happy to see you well, Alastor." The red clad demon was silent, probably to pause on the actual relief and appreciation that donned the horned mistress' voice; but the silence was easily cut short when another pair of hands curled underneath the King's arms.

"Come on the old chap. As they say- 'No rest for the wicked'!" Together they got him up halfway before the eldest began to protest.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it," Lucifer shook the hands off, gathered his strength, never one to look weak in front of his subjects, and pushed himself to his feet. "as thankful as I am to you for lending a hand, Alastor-" Dark, slitted, eyes turn to watch the deer demon as he causally strode out from behind him, "did you _have_ to use the grace that they conjured? I am still _partially_ an angel."

Alastor's grin widened- if that was even possible- his eyes glowing with vicious delight, but he tapered his usual comeback with something more fitting. 

"It seemed plausible enough. That Angels would be affected by their own grace if it was tainted by a darker source..I meant no harm to you, my friend, truly- but I was running out of options." Alastor carefully plucked the elder demon's top hat off the ground, shook it lightly, as to dust it off, before handing it back to the other man. "Charlie is fine, as is her hotel, we've sealed the bottom floor." He informed quietly, his radio tin still staying off for some odd reason.

Surprisingly, to Alastor at least, both of Charlie's parents seemed to relax at the news. Rarely had the red demon seen them interact with the Hellborn girl, it being rarer to get them to even talk about her, so when Lucifer requested that Alastor was to show Charlie the scene that had played only minutes before- Alastor had a right mind to be just a little suspicious.

"That's a relief.." Lilith sighed, straightening the wrinkles in her dress as she quickly scanned through the recovering crowd, "Is she okay?" Silver eyes move back to pierce crimson optics, breaking their eerie glow with something akin to a doused version of a mother's worry. "She is unharmed, but I do believe she's struggling to wrap her mind around the current events."

Never one to lie- never having gained anything from lying-, Alastor gives them nothing but the truth.

The horned woman nods once and looks down to her husband, awaiting his words. But as she does this she can't help but notice that large smudge of blood that stained the center of the ballroom, just a couple of feet away from the scorch mark the Angelic grace had created. A frown curled on Lilith's lips as she turned her full attention to the blood trail.

It was like..How one would use their hand to kill a bug against a window, and for usual good measure they'd slide their hand down just to make sure it was dead.

A observant hum left Alastor as he rounded on Lilith's right, having distanced himself from Lucifer as the male reined his jaded attitude back in, "Quite the spill, is it not?" He questioned, head tilting as he gazed enthusiastically at the stain adorning the dark, once polished, floors of a once gorgeous and loved room. _Lilith now despises this room, and the thought of it's existence, renovations for it will come in the near future- if not it's destruction- there was no need to have such a memory stored in such a lovely and lively place._

"The Archangel was much harder to get a grasp on," Alastor continued, his grin sharp, Lilith could see his clawed hands behind his back clenching tightly together, tearing through the already torn gloves, "but that common Angel.. _just_.."

He could still feel the way the winged being squirmed and wailed while ensnared within his shadows, how their bones shattered, deliciously so, as his tendrils tightened around their body. Angelic blood, probably wasn't healthy for him to consume, but the _smell_ of it had his stomach clawing for a single bite and his mouth watering at the hunger induced fantasies about the sheer taste of something so holy. But as he slunk out of the hotel, breaking through the shadows with a snarling grin, Alastor was quite disappointed to see that most of the body had already been taken by the shadows while the rest disappeared from existence. 

A real shame that was.

Having eternal hunger had it's upsides, just as much as it's downsides. For one, you never really got sick off of what you ate- that and you could stomach most of all things.

_Sometimes even inedible things, clothes did get in the way- but that's not important._

".. _crumbled under the_ pressure. It was as they said it would be," A cruel smile teased his face with a curl, " _Quite the show indeed!_ " Alastor spared the woman a glance, impressed at her restraint as she gave him a slightly disgusted look, "Revolting." Lilith huffed, her husband taking a step to be by her side as Lucifer overlooked the crowd.

"Says the one whose the mother of all sexual beings." Alastor shot back, feigning offence as his ears pricked upwards with a pulse of static, "Call my actions revolting when your own are just as such!"

"That's quite enough." Lucifer chastised, his eye returning to their normal pupils, and though his voice held no true malice there was still warning. Now wasn't the time for games, even if it was amusing to watch his wife and his friend bicker like siblings. "We must deal with the problem at hand, Alastor-" The King's gaze befell the taller male, his mouth staying in a fine line, but not breaking into a frown, "Thank you for doing that. I'll have to map out a better thank you at a later date, but for now we are still under threat. If Micheal returns, he'll be after me and if he finds you, you'll be killed as well. We need to spread out and lay low until we find a better way to deal with this." 

A low hum drawled from the Radio Demon, half of him enjoying the way the lesser demons stumbled in their foot placements, while his other half focused on Lucifer's words, "Are we challenging Heaven, then?" He questioned, "I don't think Hell's exactly up for a war, do you?" Lucifer gave him a look, irritated but patient in his own way, " _Three quarters of Hell's population have been destroyed_. Even with the full extent of our population, Heaven still outnumbered us. There's no way we're challenging them, we'll just have to find ways to defend ourselves."

"Tainting the Angelic grace seemed to work." Lilith offered, "Vanished an entire armada, and forced an Archangel to flee." "Yes, but that was with Charlie's and my own blood fueling Alastor's abomination of a shadow." Lucifer rolled his shoulders trying to loosen the tension in them as he watched the Overlords within the crowd start moving forward towards the stage. At this, Alastor took a step back, as to not intrude farther than he already was- standing with royalty was one thing, being friends with that royalty was another thing, and being glared at for seeming as their equal was _a whole 'nother thing that Alastor wanted no part of._

Sure, he liked power, power was fun! But when true fear from his peers and those lesser turn into sheer jealousy and belittlement- that's when things get irritating.

Plus he liked Lucifer. Respected the man. No need to step further across the boundaries after saving him and his wife- _and the demons in the room_ \- from certain death!

He was a humble being after all.

_Heh, okay, that was a lie._

Okay so Alastor liked having his ego stroked- who doesn't?- he just knew better then to tread on thin ice.

"Then it's something we'll have to work on." Alastor pipes in, "Maybe we can find better ways to defend ourselves that doesn't involve my _shadow_." He corrected the elder demon on his mistake for calling his beloved mimic an abomination. "Make weapons that involve tainted grace? Perhaps powers and seals that involve that type of magic. You still are _partially_ Angel, correct?"

Lucifer gave him another pointed look, but it softened when he thought on it further. He looked to Lilith whom looked uncertain but hopeful in her own way, "It could work, but it's up to you, my love."

Clawed hands curled against each other, scratching against white gloves as Lucifer stared forward once more, gaze lingering on the three V's as they boldly began to make their way forward. Velvet was in the middle of Vox and Valentino, giant pigtails bouncing, as Vox inclined his head, "What's the plan hotshot?" Valentino questioned, his smoothed down purr of a voice back in action after the initial fright of being at the mercy of Angels. But he shrunk back at Lilith's distasteful stare for the nickname- which made Alastor's grin curl farther upwards in cruel amusement for the test of boundaries.

Lucifer glanced back to Alastor, his brows furrowed as he took a step away from the edge of the stage to face the red demon.

"We can't be sure if that works yet, for now I want you to watch over Charlie for us; while we try and figure this out."

Alastor felt a twinge of _something_ stir inside of his gut, "She's very capable of taking care of herself-" "I know, but Micheal said that _he knows her_. I'm asking, _nicely_ , if you will keep her safe while we take some time and think about our next move."

_The Royal Babysitter._

A nice ring, but it did not fit Alastor at all.

But he couldn't say no, so what the hell, why not?

Alastor nodded in defeat, smile as wide as ever as he kept his eyes averted from the three other Overlord's that were watching the exchange with curious looks. However, Lucifer seemed pleased, "Thank you, Alastor. Keep the hotel sealed while your at it.

"As if I'd let the seal down." Alastor scoffed, his grin widening, "A thought like that would have meant certain death not five minutes ago."

"You're dismissed, Alastor." Lucifer grinned, unable to stop himself, the other male always had something up his sleeve to lighten dreary mood. Even if he usually used that charm to instill unease and caution in someone else's stomach Lucifer found himself calmed by it. The red demon shakes his head but sends his shadow, that was patiently waiting beside him, off with a flourish of his gloved hand. It skitters off, and as it trails back to the hotel Alastor summons a small desk radio that fits in his palm, "Keep in touch, _with me_ , Charlie's cellular device is a blob of sparks and melted parts due to your magic. Try to refrain from fiddling with it to much."

Lucifer obliges with a snap, an embarrassed twitch cursing his brow. _So what? He wasn't the best with frequencies, did it really matter?- ...fuck you Alastor.._

Alastor pulls his hand away as soon as the radio disappears to Lucifer's office, his gaze falling to Lilith as his shadow chitters it's safe return to the hotel.

"I'll be off then, until next we meet- My lady," He lowers his head slightly to the horned mistress- as he's always done for Lilith- before he turned his glowing crimson optics to the three Overlords, unable to stop himself from reminiscing on their frightened faces. 

A grin curled on Alastor's face, and Vox mouth shuddered into a displeased frown, "Vox, Velvet," Red on red landed on the tall figure beside them, his ear twitching as he suppressed his discomfort and anger, " _Valentino._ I bid thee a good day."

And with that he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

But not after hearing Vox mutter out a bitter comment, most likely crossing his arms like the child he was known to be instead of a being vicious Overlord that ruled a good portion of media in Hell.

_"..Ax-Az-Asskisser.."_

* * *

When Alastor returned to the hotel, he was not expecting a set of arms to be thrown around his torso.

Nearly tumbling back, Alastor braces himself with his microphone as Charlie engulfs him in a sudden hug; his ears popped up, eyes blowing wide as he struggled to fight the urge to shove the girl off. But as soon as her arms came, they were gone with just as much speed. Crimson eyes took notice of the rest of the staff perking up at his entrance, only starting to move as Charlie raked a hand through her hair and shoved her bangs from her face.

"We were so worried!" She sniffed, it was then did Alastor realize that she was crying, "You just _disappeared,_ Al! You can't fucking do that! What if you were killed while in there?!" "My dear, I assure you that all is well-" "Don't give me that bullshit!" Charlie cut him off, the sudden flow of authority forcing the Radio Demon to take pause, "Your shadow grabbed you by your shoulders and _took you, and we didn't know if everyone was okay in there or not-"_

"Charlie-" Vaggie tried but the blonde wasn't listening. She obviously didn't hold as much as a grudge, only seeming to hold a mixture of relief and concern.

"-but I was _scared_ , Alastor! I didn't want to lose people, I didn't wanna lose my mom and dad, I didn't want to lose the people in that room, I didn't wanna lose you!" It was becoming increasingly obvious that the girl was not only speaking from her heart, but through all of the stress that had been building up. It seemed it had finally started to make a crack in her mental dam, and that the only way for her to cope was to do this.

Alastor decided he'd endure it.

"I-It's bad enough that my parents barely ever show their faces, and when they finally start to show some semblance of caring it's when they're on the verge of dying!" "Cha-" "A-and then you come into the hotel, and you help me figure things out, you help me make people _better_ , and I can't help but be grateful. _You've done so much more than they have, helped my dreams become a reality, and I- I just, I don't know what I would do if you died!"_ "Charlie." " _AND you go somewhere, where I can't see you, where there's danger- and you..you leave us in the dark- Why did-?!"_

The girl goes quiet when a hand plants itself on her shoulder, she looks up from her rant and sees Alastor towering over her with an exasperated expression. "That is quite enough, my dear." He soothes, and a sense of calm befalls the room allowing everyone a moment to breathe and to collect themselves. Alastor's ears flick and aim down towards the girl, his smile in it's smallest form as he addresses the matter, "I should have warned you of my intentions, that is my fault." He noted Angel's movement from the armchair, rising semi-gracefully as he turned to veer closer, "But in order to use that power to it's full potential, I needed to be present."

"What if it didn't work?" Charlie challenged, "Would you of just sat there and _accepted your fate?_ "

Alastor tilted his head at her question, a little wounded at her jab "It worked, there's no reason to dwell on that. If it had failed I would have teleported those I could reach out of there." 

He then noted Husk rounding the corner of the lounge area, his arms crossing as he leaned against the wall. Just passively observing. Alastor suddenly felt trapped, his heartbeat quickening as he felt eyes on the back of his head.

But Vaggie also decided to give her two cents, breaking the suffocating trace Alastor had reeled himself in, "How'd you get out of there anyways?"

Alastor took the sudden turn to leave the bothering conversation with Charlie, "The common angel created a ball of Angelic grace, as you saw, I ordered my shadows to wrap around it and it turned into a sort of tainted grace. When the Archangel hit the flame, it seemed to just vanish them all." He looks to Charlie, albeit a little reluctantly as the girl still had tears in the corners of her eyes, "Your father and mother are okay- as is everyone in the room. The only one that was killed was the common Angel."

"Ya..Ya killed an angel?" Angel Dust questioned, slightly gawking, as he stepped closer- now behind Charlie. Alastor lifted his gaze slightly to nod at the taller male, sheepishly almost, "That's not a favorable form, I'm afraid. It's still a little foggy, but I think they were devoured by shadows before disappearing from reality."

"Huh.."

Alastor's grin broadened at the slightly surprised look on Angel's face, before he turned back to Charlie and patted her shoulder a couple times, "Everyone is okay. Just a little out of it if anything. Your father said to lie low until he found a way to make a suitable defense for Hell- and as far as I'm concerned I do think that is the best course of action we could take for the moment."

Charlie just inhaled sharply, her gaze hitting the floor as she reeled herself back in. When her gaze was off of him, Alastor looked back at Vaggie and motioned for the girl to come over. Her footsteps were light, and before she could place her hand on Charlie's shoulder the girl was muttering a quick apology.

Alastor would of been confused, had arms not swarmed his torso again, easily locking around his thin figure while Charlie's head bumped against his chest. "I know you don't like hugs, Al. But- could I just- _for a second?_ "

Alastor's grin thinned to smile, a fondness taking hold of his actions and words before he could even think about protesting, "I don't think I have a choice in this."

A wet laugh left the girl and she squeezed tighter, " _No_. No you don't."

* * *

After explaining the rest of the situation, thoroughly, and prying Charlie from his frame, Alastor decided that an early dinner was needed. Nearly two entire days of not eating was starting to cause him pain, and it was beginning to become bothersome as he waltzed towards the kitchen in order to help Nifty with the meal. It was a swift making of a simple meal that consisted of chicken, rice, and beans, but it filled Alastor's stomach enough to no longer cause pain.

That's what mattered at least.

Now he was lounging back in the armchair he claimed for sleep on the first night, patiently waiting for Vaggie to finish bandaging his wound, while the rest of the staff was occupying a coffee table playing some card game he's never heard of, lest for Angel as the spider had excused himself to shower not twenty minutes ago.

Vaggie's movements were gentle, despite her usual tempered nature, and she was handling the wound with excessive care- so much that Alastor was nearing the verge of wrapping it himself.

But he kept patient. No need to start a new fuss.

It was at a particular loud bellowing laugh from Charlie that the two shared an amused look. _Oh how she bounced back so easily._ Vaggie nearly grinned as her girlfriend chortled loudly at Husk's unexpected loss. Nifty couldn't stop herself from snickering at Charlie's infectious laughter, and soon Husk was slamming the rest of his cards down to grumble to himself- it went over the other's heads, but thanks to Alastor's sharper hearing he managed to catch the few crude words that slipped out of the tom.

" _Fuckin' cards...damn 'Go Fish' of all things...stupid fuckin' luck.."_

Confused at the name, Alastor let himself be amused at the tom's doused luck, only getting pulled back as his leg jumped in a sudden jolt of pain. Vaggie tensed, sending him an apologetic look as she removed her finger from one of the stitches. A dismissive wave was all she got, all she needed to continue her work.

And it didn't take her long to finish bandaging after that one little mistake.

Alastor found himself watching with peeked interest as Charlie reeled Husk and Vaggie back in to play a newer game, one oddly called 'Uno', and surprisingly the Hellborn managed to continuously win almost every time. One of the longer rounds, Husk had found himself with a _handful- possibly several handfuls-_ of cards, and still running without so much as an inkling of blue in his hand.

Charlie had offered the red demon a spot in their game, but after seeing Husk's frustrations grow, Alastor found himself declining just to watch the scene unfold with Nifty sitting on the arm of the couch he'd moved to sit himself on.

And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Vaggie had a sharp grin take her face, her grey hand pulling out one of her cards to place it on the pile before shooting Husk a knowing look. The tom's ear flicked, amber eyes shooting to the pile to see a 'plus two' card waving it's metaphorical middle finger in his face. A frown pulled at his mouth, and he begrudgingly plucked two cards from the pull pile not taking any happiness from Vaggie's widening eye.

"The hell? _H_ _ow do you not have a fucking 'plus two' Husk?!"_

"I don't know, ask the fuckin' pull pile! This game is shit!"

Charlie snickered placing her own 'plus two' on top of Vaggie's, watching with squinting eyes as the pale haired girl cockily pulled another card from her hand and placed it on top of Charlie's, effectively doubling the cost that once again fell onto Husk's shoulders. A sigh strained through his nose as he pulled four cards from the pile, " _Bullshit, s'fuckin' bullshit..."_

Amber eyes look up to watch Charlie's next move, angrily watching her smirk turn to a grin as she places another 'plus two' down. Ears perking up, he quickly glared at Vaggie who was watching him with a reluctant look, "I swear if you-" 

Husk's hand slams against the table as Vaggie places down her own 'plus two'.

"I'm about to fuckin' leave." 

Alastor chuckled at his tone, but quieted down when Husk turned to glare up at him, "It's only a game, my dear." "Shut the hell up, you smiling bastard!"

The door to the back opened and Angel went through the door. The arachnid had his shirt in hand, only wearing a pair of sweatpants; with his long legs it didn't take him long to come up on the others "Aw, what's the matta Husky? They beaten ya at your own game?"

"Poker's my game- not this bullshit." Husk grumbled, cracking his neck as he went back to the game at hand, Angel could be heard snickering before he halted behind Alastor and Nifty. The little demon looked back, following Alastor's ears as they swiveled back to lock onto Angel's form without the male sitting down having to turn around. "So, Smiles-" Angel grunted halfway, stepping over the back of the couch to plop gracefully on the cushions, wincing slightly but managing a exasperated smile for the Radio Demon.

"Wanna hear a funny story?"

"Funnier than the man getting shot in his jewels by a child?"

Angel wheezed in a laugh, the phrasing in Alastor's sentence turning heads as the rest of the group looked between the two in confusion.

"No, no," The paler male chuckled, "That's still the funnies' shit eva. But this ain't so much as a funny ha-ha story, more as..ah.. my legs stopped working halfway through taking a shower, and I slipped and fell on my ass." He snapped two of his fingers with a joking wink, before he continued, "Ya know what caused it?" Due to the knowing look, Alastor had a good idea of what the cause would be.

It was expected that some of his static could still be lingering in the other's body, hiding away until the prime moment of causing dysfunction came to pass.

A scorched hand, coated in scars lifted up, a single digit urging the other male to turn around to give him access to his spine. "This better not be a ploy to get me to touch you more." Alastor's wary comment made Angel grin over his shoulder. "Ya never know unless ya check, sugar~"

A swift clap over the side of the spider's head did him in well, _definitely stopped the comments coming out of his mouth as Alastor's hand trailed over his back_ \- but hey he _did_ find some hidden away static, so all was not lost.

That and Husk had eventually snapped and smashed the coffee table, yelling incoherently that the _innocent_ game of 'Uno' had been rigged. That was also a win in Alastor's book. Made him feel giddy at the other's loss of composure and outward rage.

But there was this tick, that made the grinning fiend pause. A shift in the air, something that made his stomach churn with an anxiety he hadn't felt in a long time.

_Why the hell did he feel like he was being watched?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alastor and Lilith are siblings (Not really) and you can't tell me otherwise- Alastor is the irritating little brother and Lilith is the older sister that's just done with his shit.  
> All the while, Lucifer's in the corner just like, "What the hell did I marry into?"


	11. A Mouth Full Of Teeth, And A Bad Attitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huuuuuuhhhhh, sorry this one took so long, I was at a house with no internet for four days, so I couldn't write.
> 
> Also some lines and sentences in there are solely because my five year old brain couldn't help itself, sorry (notsorry) :D

Two days later, just as the day reached it's peak, Alastor was roused from a brief nap when his shadow suddenly raised an alarm residing somewhere deep inside of his slumbering powers.

It brought him from his dozing, jostling the book from his slack hand, and forced his frame to go rigid. His leg jerked, painfully so, hitting against the coffee table and furthering the heinous sting that befell his poor left limb not four days ago. A hiss sliced through Alastor's grinning mouth, pushing past the sharpened, yellow, teeth and spearing the shade as it sat back on it's haunches waiting for it's master to wake and recover.

The shadow had been patrolling around the hotel that morning, taking the damage in and cautiously checking for cracks or weak spots in the dome of it’s master’s and the hotel owner’s seal. There were a few questionable spots, but nothing too worrisome. The dents in the spell made sense, to say the least, Alastor was a little more drained than usual, and Charlie’s powers had to work double-time when he left to go assist Lucifer, so it was an _okay_ inconvenience.

_An 'okay inconvenience' before it suddenly became a huge problem._

When three, powered, demonic, bodies suddenly crossed the border everything docile was thrown out the metaphorical window and the shadow wasted no time in finding it’s slumbering master resting quietly by in the armchair. His head drooped, resting his cheek against a palm, while his ears lowered just a touch. He looked like he was having a pleasant rest-

It paused for a split moment, taking in the rare content expression it’s master held, before placing it’s cold black, smoking, hand against it’s master’s chest and forcing interference into Alastor’s unprepared ears.

And had it not been for the sudden knock on the door, you better believe the shade would’ve laughed seeing it’s master scare awake.

Grinning impishly, the shadow watched as Alastor inhaled sharply to hold his pain still, his ears flicking towards the door as Vaggie poked her head over of the bar counter. Her single eye narrowed into daggers; the unnatural, almost sentient, bow on the back of her head curling upwards in a cautious warning like a pair of horns.

“Was that the door?” Vaggie questioned quietly, having already manifested a knife in palm, holding the blade by it's sharp end while her single eye focused solely on the door.

Alastor nodded, taking in the information his shadow gifted him with, still recovering from where he hit his injured leg against the coffee table. He warded his shadow off with a stern stare, inwardly telling it to never do that again, before his ears flickered back towards the doors just as murmuring could be heard outside.

The elder demon couldn't help the twinge the pricked his stomach, it caused his insides to squirm, his ears to strain, and his shadow to quiver with a fighting anticipation as it peered hungrily around the corner of the hallway towards the entrance.

He didn't like this, _not one bit_.

Which was weird- 

_Alastor loved getting into brawls like this.._ \- _Maybe it was his wound talking._

Crimson eyes flicker to Vaggie, “Keep everyone in the kitchen, my dear,” Another flurry of knocks resounded and Alastor was waving towards the girl to hurry, halting her before she could ask the one question that worried him at first as well, “They aren’t Angels, but just in case inform the others.”

Vaggie scurried off, and as she disappeared through the kitchen’s swinging door Alastor found the strength to stand up without the help of his microphone. Taloned fingers dance wildly together as the elder demon clasped his hands behind his back, not yet daring a glance at the windows beside the door and waiting for Charlie to ready herself.

Angel emerged from the kitchen, uncaring of Vaggie's angered protests for him to stay, his magenta eyes zeroed in on Alastor's awaiting form. He was bootless, but stocking and padded feet kept his steps silent. The only reason Alastor knew the other male to be behind him, was because the door let out an unsettling croak under the spider's pushing palm.

"Vags said we had company." Angel started, his bottom pair of hands twitching habitually for a grab at the guns he stowed away. He stopped beside the red demon, having been halted by a clawed hand before he could break into the view of the door, "We know who it is outside?" He questioned, not daring another look as Alastor kept his hand up.

A sharp hand stopped him from crossing the window’s line of sight, crimson eyes coldly watching the corner, where his shadow stood patiently, before Alastor sent the mimic to find out, “Haven't checked yet, lets see who's graced us with this surprising visit!” He informed, semi-enthusiastically, ears checking left as his shadow dropped to the floor to prowl forward. The two watched as Alastor’s shadow slunk towards the door, carefully slipping through the cracks before going outside and sizing up the bodies awaiting for an answer.

It hissed and snarled in Alastor’s ear, warning him of three Overlords and at the information Alastor’s hand clapped against Angel’s shoulder, before pushing him back.

Angel jumped at the contact, heart in his throat as the red male behind him began to steer him back towards the kitchen. Hitting Charlie full force as she burst through the door.

“Al! What’s going on, who’s _here-Eep!Whoa-!”_ She squeaks as she runs face first into Angel's chest fluff, failing to move out of the way and instead moving towards them. Angel eased her off, still tender in the area despite healing most of the bruising already, and Alastor patiently waited for her to recover before explaining the situation in a toned down voice.

“Overlords.” Alastor hissed, as he continued pushed Angel through the door, once Charlie was out of the way, “Vox, Velvet, and Valentino. To be exact." The grinning fiend poked his head inside, making brief eye contact with Husk as the tom sat at the counter, "Angel, get the weapons with Husk and be ready if they start a fight.” He urged the taller male through the door, but stopped when Angel’s hand clasped around his wrist. 

A shudder ran through his arm, traveling across his shoulders and down his spine at the contact. And it took everything in Alastor to not claw it off.

_“..Val’s here..?”_

“Don’t worry, Angel.” Charlie was quick to reassure, pushing forward to make the pale spider look down at her; her words were confident- which was needed in this situation, as Angel's mind swiftly cut away to the worst possible outcomes-, and unbeknownst to the two it simultaneously cut off the pulse of static that vibrated through the air like a cornered beast snarling a dry threat, “If he tries anything, and I mean it,“ She looks up at Alastor, eyes thinned and dangerous with a sense of seriousness, 

_“I get first dibs.”_

“Of course, my dear. I’ll happily keep the others off of you while you have your fun.” Alastor’s grin grew twice the size, his shadow’s approving buzz coming from it’s side of the bond, before he focused back in on Angel’s unsettled expression. It almost hurt seeing him like this- thinking so hard on the bad and not hoping for the better outcomes of such situations. Alastor swore, if Angel had known about Heaven's plans the poor spider would've worked himself into a second grave with his damned ideas and scenarios.

“My dear,” Alastor ignored the way his skin crawled for just a moment; he turned his arm, that was still clasped tightly by Angel's relentless grip, over in order to squeeze back briefly, “There is no need to worry, that roach hopefully won’t even know you're here.”

“That’s not..” Angel’s remaining arms went slack, his mismatched eyes flickering between the two, while he fixed his bottom lip between his teeth. One would worry that he'd draw blood with his fangs, but Angel was well versed in using his mouth gently apparently.

But that wasn't important right now.

Angel's top hand came up to scratch through his hair, claws tapping against his scalp as he averted his eyes from the two other demons in his company. “It's not _my_ safety I'm worried about, Alastor. _Your_ leg isn’t exactly doing that great, and Charlie ya look exhausted, doll..I’m worried about you two..”

That was new, Alastor was sure he's never heard Angel prefer his full name over a nickname.

How strange.

The hand around his wrist tightened, before Charlie veered forward in order to hug Angel tightly, “We’ll be okay, Angel. Just keep your head down, and be ready if we need backup, okay?” She gave his torso one last squeeze before pulling away and heading towards the door’s direction. Alastor was about to follow, but the grip on his arm halted him once more.

“I’m fuckin’ serious, Smiles.” Angel insisted, his wariness and fear creeping out of his cracking persona, “Don’t do nothin’ stupid, _please_.”

“I don’t intend to, my dear. Now go ready your weapons and stay down,” His hand waved slightly, summoning his microphone before ushering Angel further into the kitchen. He briefly stepped out, stopping short only to pop his head back in and point at the counter near Husk, “There’s a radio on that counter, keep by it and you’ll hear every word they say.”

Angel reluctantly disappeared inside the kitchen, and as Alastor stilled the swinging door he heard Charlie open the door to the hotel. Daring a calming breath, the red demon straightened his red undershirt before casting a hesitant glance towards his uncovered arms.

“ _Ah! We were wondering if you were going to answer!_ ”

Black singed ears flicker back towards the door, training on Valentino’s purr of a voice as he addressed Charlie. Any thoughts of being anymore decent left the Alastor’s mind and instantly he was taking confident strides towards the door, wanting to intervene before his partner was cornered.

Turning the corner, shoes clipping against the hardwood in tandem with his cane, Alastor straightened his posture…

And immediately paused at what he was witnessing.

Valentino had a sluggish looking Velvet leaning against his larger frame, the smaller demon was breathing a bit harshly, her posture tired. “Princess..” The dark haired woman rasped through a breath, foggy eyes shifting towards Alastor who stood attentive in the background, “Alastor.” She greets the two in an almost formal fashion.

A formal fashion that was thrown out the door as soon as Vox pushed past Valentino, with his phone gripped tightly in his hand, “Fuck off, Vox!” Velvet hissed, though it went ignored as Vox strode deeper into the hotel's lobby without an ounce of care.

“Az- Ax-..Alright, Al. We need the closest office, _now._ Lucifer says he’s got a plan, and that request was hz- hx-..His orders.” Vox demands, devil-like iris' flickering up every so often to take a glance at the old-fashioned lobby decor.

Crimson optics narrowed at the TV headed male, and suddenly Alastor’s grin sharpened. A pulse of static hummed off the red male, interfering with Vox's own and catching the turquoise demon's attention almost immediately. The two rival's gazes met in a wordless battle, the static's crackling hum pricking through the boiling tension like tiny needles into an rhino's hide. 

The three bodies in the background seemed to tense as sigals danced through the room, telling them that a certain, _unwanted_ , TV headed, bastard was treading on someone else's turf without being granted permission to come inside. 

_We can't have that, now, can we?_

Red ears strain further upwards, listening intently on the near muted mesh of static electricity that sang songs on malice and hatred, as Alastor takes a daring step towards Vox; his crescent grin nearly splitting his face in half as he stared the other down.

“As much as I would like to _entertain_ the idea of our King giving you the orders and you then _following them_ . I do believe however that a question of my own can be answered as you step outside and _wait_ to be let inside.” Alastor’s ears twitched as Vox's grip on his phone tightened. The more _electronic_ male seemed to be more and more offended by the second!

Behind Alastor, Charlie was patiently waiting with Valentino and Velvet, who had yet to cross the threshold. Her hands on her hips and her foot tapping rhythmically against the hardwood as she awaited the next move with the two other Overlords. 

“Az- ax-.. And why should I listen to you?” Vox challenged bluntly, sparks traveling up his antennas as he forced his own stab of electricity out to meet with Alastor's static. 

“ _Because_ , “ The static grew in Vox's audios, pulsing painfully as Alastor's figure seemed to grow taller and more wicked. Shadows engulfed with lobby, claw like appendages whipping against the ground and clawing up with wall as the dark being behind the grinning fiend formed to be a far larger and opposing figure. It framed Alastor's body perfectly, making the other seem taller even as his body stayed normal. Snapping was heard as Alastor's antlers branched farther out, now cresting over his ears as his yellow tattered maw stretched wide with an unnatural back light that flickered ominously with the sudden 'growth spurt'.

But the key things were the radio dial like eyes that stained the red male's eyes. Baring viciously down on his rival as the TV demon uneasily watched the display.

However, in a flash, all was well and dandy!

Alastor shook his head, reeling his snarling shadow back in as he gave Vox a condescending grin. _Just daring the other media whore to take a jab._ “This is not _your hotel_ , and if the owner,” talon-like figers gesture to Charlie’s cross form, “wishes for you to leave, or wait until your invited back in, or asks me to dispose of you all together then- ha!- I’m obligated to do what she asks of me!”

Vox looked like he wanted to spit his two cents in, a low electrical hum buzzed out of the TV demon projecting his irritation as proof of that fact; but he relented, slowly stepping back towards the door with a newly acquired scowl adorning his screen, “Wz- Wx- Whatever..”

“Very good!” Alastor praised, watching him go as he rejoined Valentino on the pimp’s left side. Glowing scleras focus on Charlie’s now smirking face, patiently awaiting her to allow the others inside, properly this time. 

A moment passed before the blonde clasped her hands together and nodded her head, “Please, come in and sit down. I'd like to first address Miss Velvet's..predicament before we speak business, if you don't mind.”

“Thanks, Blondie.” Valentino remedies the tense air with a sly, but appreciative smile. Little effort was put in as he pushed past Vox, basically dragging Velvet at this point as Alastor gestured towards a nearby chair for him to set the girl down in. “This dumbass overworked her powers trying to do whatever the hell she was doing.” The roach explained, oddly compliant to speak as he hefted the girl onto the chair, being surprisingly careful as he avoided pulling her unnaturally long hair, “Dunno if she was trying to save her turf, or if she was trying to kill herself. But she got fucked over either way.”

A groan left the girl on the chair, “Neither worked.” Velvet dismissed, pale eyes narrowed despite looking completely drained of most of her energy. She slaps Valentino’s hands away, sitting up sorely, before gesturing to Alastor and Charlie as a means to better explain her own situation, “Executioners hit a breaker in my main building while I was at Vox's place, blew the damn thing up in a inferno of bad stuff, and killed my guys, so all I get is less territory and a shitty hangover. But it don't matter, we got shit ta talk about!”

Charlie glanced at Alastor, noting the way the grinning tyrant seemed to take that information in almost eagerly. _They'd have to have a talk about aggressiveness with other Overlords.. again.._, just to make sure he wasn't planning anything over the top while Hell took it's time to recover from the blow Heaven dealt. But _that_ rodeo would be put on hold until the Overlords present were gone.

The blonde nodded, rocking back and forth on her heels as she awaited Velvet's go ahead to start towards a office, and eventually it did come. The pigtailed girl was bouncing back to her feet within the next minute, determined not to look anymore weak than she had already shown to Alastor. Straightening the ruffles in her dress, she motioned to Charlie to lead the way to the office, and when Charlie moved towards a dark oak door, nearly halfway across the lobby, did the other's begin to follow.

_"Az-Ax-..About damn time!"_

Vox was right after her, ready to get this done. While Valentino waltzed behind him with a hand carefully placed behind Velvet just in case the smaller demon were to falter. 

And Alastor lurked behind them, keeping all three Overlords in his vision at all times just in case one were to step out of line.

If worse came to worst at least he'd have a good meal.

Right?

* * *

When the five demons finally settled in the large office room, Charlie then motioned Alastor to use the radio he'd put in by her desk in case of emergencies. In the beginning stages of the hotel, Charlie never, _never_ , wanted to use violence against stubborn patrons. At least _she_ didn't want to. Alastor on the other hand insisted after the first five months, especially after one of the larger demons busted into her office and nearly took advantage of her oath to not harm another in her hotel.

She had burned that demon alive. Hating every moment as she listened to them scream in agony.

But she never wanted to do it again, so she had the radio there now had another tried to encroach on her docile preferences.

Thankfully after the one, no one else tried. But it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

Charlie watched as the red male sauntered past Valentino, obviously aware of the roach's appraising stare, and the blonde was surprised to see Alastor completely ignore the fact that he was showing quite a bit more skin than usual..and uh.. _his tail_.., and that Valentino was ogling the motionless fluff adorning his flank just barely resting over the seam of his suit pants.

 _It_.. _made sense that Alastor had a tail, to say the least._ The ears, the antlers, _the hooves that he hid very well,_ so Charlie never _really..reacted_ when she happened to find out. She had walked into the kitchen one evening to see Alastor cooking his regular Wednesday dinner, he happened to be coatless and after _small_ conversations with Vaggie and Angel about Alastor ever having such a thing on his person..

_Charlie couldn't help but take a peak._

And she wasn't disappointed when a.. _red, black, and white fluffy..thing.._ took her attention. It flicked every so often to the beat of his own music, and she had watched it for just a moment before cracking a casual conversation with the guy.

No reason to bring attention to something that most animal demons had, plus it wasn't _that bad._

Husk had a tendency to clean himself, his arms at least, and he liked milk more now than he had in life. Vaggie liked staring at lights and fires sometimes, kinda zoned out when she did. Hell, even Angel would vomit silk every now and then- didn't make it weird, just ya know..I mean.. _it's weird_ but it's not weird in a bad way. It's completely acceptable, just different is all! 

Plus Alastor didn't seem to mind that he had a tail, so why worry about it in the first place! He embraced it- having a tail and all. 

_Not like he could cut it off anyways, it'd just grow back brand new the next day. So he didn't really have a choice._

He never minded when people looked at it, he just never liked to be touched and his tail was no exception to that rule. So when Valentino seemed to stare bug eyed (heh) at the small tuft of fur, Alastor acted ignorant and continued towards the radio on the desk. Best not to start that conversation, there's no telling what would come out of that Sleaze Lord's mouth anyway.

Charlie watched as he pressed a finger to the radio dial, his right ear twitching as it located the right frequency that led towards the radio he gifted to Lucifer. However, before he could start, the radio under the red demon's finger shrieked with garbled static; almost resisting Alastor's tuning touch. His shadow shuddered at the sensation through the bond, quaking as Alastor's own static pulsed with unseen irritation.

The problem was over as quickly as it came, but the thought of there _being a problem_ was still in the air.

And Valentino just had to comment on it.

"S'happenin' with you too huh babe? Loosing your mojo the more ya use it?" Another pulse of static buzzed through the air, sending a visible shiver through Vox as the TV demon shuddered. Alastor turned to look over his shoulder, crimson eyes narrowed into annoyed slits as he pinned his gaze on the grinning giant. His skin crawled at the nickname, and having been called out for the falter in his powers further irritated his already buzzing mind.

"Refrain from using pet names. This is your first warning." Alastor warned, turning back to fiddle with the now compliant frequencies.

"Iz- Ix-..I could just call him, ya know. You're makin' this really fucking tedious, Az- Ax-.. Al." Vox huffed, resting his screen against his knuckles as he sat further back against the leather seat.

"Good." Alastor retorted, "The more bored you get, the more entertained I become. I do love when people get irritated!"

"Cut it out Voxxy." Valentino crooned, crossing his arms as he let his gaze linger on Alastor's backside "we got a nice view anyways, better this than his bad side. Am I right?" Valentino could only grin as the grinning fiend shot a malicious look over his shoulder, glaring intentional daggers into the roach and creating a scenario in his mind where the pimp was writhing on the ground with his entrails flowing from his stomach while he wailed and choked through his own blood.

That was a nice thought, enough to tether Alastor back to connecting with Lucifer's radio.

But it seemed Valentino just wasn't finished yet. His thoughtful hum once again brought the red male out of his focus, and from his twitching grin Charlie could see his patience thinning for the taller male.

"Ya know I just had a nice thought of my own." Valentino admits proudly, his all knowing gaze for body language, and his knowledge for catching the right expressions, easily read the way Alastor reeled his murderous intentions back in. The pimp was good at his job, way to good for Alastor's and Charlie's taste. He had his job for a reason, he was good at it because he had the correct attributes. Getting a solid read on people in order to catch the perfect shot, especially getting a correct read on Alastor who was ever the showmen both in his heart and his body- always ready to turn the tables, ready to make the attention either on or off of him- it was a hard thing to do! And making people compliant was another thing.

Sometimes big scares didn't do much, but when a smooth talker had just enough charm- that did just the trick.

Charlie hadn't noticed until now. But the other four beings in the room were Overlords for a reason. 

They knew exactly what they wanted and how to get it. Charming showmen(and woman) that could sweet talk any man or woman with just a single bat of their eyes, while also being some of the most feared opponents and business people around. 

Velvet made a monopoly for stolen goods from the overworld, taking to trends, clothing, movies, popular websites, devices-..anything she could get her greedy claws on to make a formidable profit. In fact she was probably the richest person in Hell because of her 'business' alone.

Vox partnered with Velvet a long time ago, with the side note of his own television shows he's made it possible for demons to watch parodies of shows that aired in the overworld- Several hundred Hellmark episodes have been made, 'The Crimson Girls' were made a while back and was pretty popular, not to mention the game shows he's managed to put together. With the two in cahoots they make a scary duo, and without each other they wouldn't of been this successful. Velvet wouldn't have the access to broadcast her merchandise and Vox wouldn't have to vast selection of entertainment to choose from in order to make his own profits.

Valentino owns the entirety of the Red Light district, and then some. Every night, sex, and stripper club belonged to him and if _anyone_ tried _anything_ to change that they'd be dead within the minute. He only partnered with the other two because they could give him more money with airing porn on the internet and television.

A win-win-win as they say, huh?

Of course Alastor had the reputation that the others just couldn't hold. Sure Vox was known to be cruel and he was able blow a couple bulbs around the city, and Valentino was an ass to his employees, but within the first minutes of being in Hell _Alastor had murdered his way to the top_. Overlords, several of them, strong in their own ways, and terrifying to the boot, were slaughtered with undeniable ease. Alastor was fucking scary and _everyone_ in Hell knew it.

So when the next words left Valentino's mouth, high and almighty, like he was God himself sitting pretty on a cloud unable to be touched by Alastor's wrath- one could see the flaws..

"Yeah," The roach cooed, leaning in just a touch as crimson eyes flickered with an angered glow, "Just got a nice visual of you on your back, laying against that desk. Legs open, primed and ready for someone ta come'en fuck you." An unnatural pronged tongue slipped from his red maw in order to flick suggestively at the red demon now standing silently at the desk.

Now Charlie heard the telltale record scratch, she saw how Alastor's ears snapped up and towards the roach as he continued with the _disgusting_ description of the himself in such a vulgar and undesirable state, she even saw blood running out of his palm as he stabbed his thumb into his hand.

And thankfully she stopped before he could call his tendrils out to rip Valentino to pieces.

With quick reflexes, Charlie's hand slapped on top of Alastor's shoulder; halting his malicious antics before they could start and easing the male to look at her instead.

_However, she couldn't stop his shadow._

As she reeled Alastor's sanity back in, she watched helplessly as the black figure lunged for Valentino, knocking the pimp back into the wall and nearly swallowing him in more shadows as it broadcasting it's master's fury through the frozen touches that struck down into his bones, embedding in and clamping down like it were about to rip his skeleton out without any resistance.

Valentino didn't make a sound as this happened, he flew back and eagerly took the pain as Alastor projected his anger.

Only when Charlie looked at him, with those damned pleading eyes, did Alastor relent.

_A snap resounded_

_And Alastor's shadow dispersed from the room._

"Consider that your second warning. Your third will have you regenerating in the dumpsters at the back of the hotel." Alastor hissed, having quite enough already. He ignored the way Valentino grinned as he _finally_ clicked into the correct frequency, hearing the strain of leather from across the way, garbled by static but it was there nonetheless.

When Lucifer cleared his throat, it was then that Alastor knew that the other was aware of the call.

"Thank you for taking time out of your day for this, Alastor." Lucifer sounded genuine, completely unaware of the sheer tension that befell the room, "I assume everyone needed is present?"

"Charlie and the three Overlords you sent to hotel, if there are more I can hunt them down." The other informed causally, as if he hadn't just tried to murder one of them.

"No. You are the last of the Overlords, I'm afraid." The eldest demon seemed pained by this, but it was only caught by Charlie, "Sit tight, I will be present in a moment."

In the next few moments, the floor on the other side of the desk, opposite of Alastor, erupted in flames. And before anyone could react, Lucifer stood there in casual wear looking exhausted despite his large smile and bright eyes. He eye'd Vox and Velvet who were sitting, until he moved his gaze up towards Valentino's towering form behind the two, staring for only a moment, before he looked to Charlie and smiled wider.

And then he locked eyes with Alastor, pleased grin taking place of his tired smile as his magic fizzled out of visible existence.

_"My friend. I've had a breakthrough."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Low-key called Alastor a 'Media Whore'
> 
> Also, I know silk comes from spider's abdomens, but I didn't want Angel's to come from there because that's-..it's..ya know..awkward? Cause his profession, and I-.. I don't need to explain myself lmao.


	12. Scheming Kings And Exasperated Aces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick- Just to inform you guys- Vox's speech is like a buffer, he's trying to find the right pitch and tone of the letters and the words before he blurts them out so he stutters kinda.
> 
> His speech is also inspired by a Vox/Alastor fic that I can't help but like, call it self indulgent I guess lmao, but the owner of the fic is 'vol_ctrl', and the fic is called 'The Pitch'
> 
> Anyways with that clarified and out of the way, I do hope you enjoy!

_"My friend, I've had a breakthrough!"_

Alastor tilted his head at the grin Lucifer bore, it seemed..forced for some reason- surely this was something to be celebrated, no?

The eldest demon didn't look happy, _he looked exhausted_ , truly, his stature wasn't as strong as usual and his eyes were far more foggy than Alastor had ever seen them. But the feigned expressions relief and mock happiness that the other expelled from his grinning maw just seemed far to convincing for the red demon to even begin to question the other's mentality.

Sharp claws, with itching palms that were still eager to wrap around Valentino's thin throat, tap delicately on Charlie's desk. An inquiring lift of a dark brow was all Alastor gave the smaller male in order to irk him forward with his scheme telling. A thin line of patience, that Alastor has never had, as usually he had all the time in Hell to wait, was suddenly present as Lucifer clapped his hands together.

The other's in the room seemed equally drained of all sense of patience for these types of antics, even if the King's sudden reveal was thrilling, they also felt far to drained in the moment to join in.

How peculiar.

Vox rested his large head against a closed fist, half-lidded eyes scanning the bouncing elder with a seething question that just couldn't leave his mouth without a sense of rudeness ready to follow it out.

Then again, this was Vox we're talking about- but also, _he was_ about to mouth off to the King of Hell so maybe they should all rethink the sudden bitterness that crossed their minds.

Electricity traveled up the Tv headed male's antennas, crackling and popping as Vox made some type of effort to listen more closely to what Lucifer had to say; why he suddenly felt the urge to ignore the other was beyond him..Perhaps he was more drained then he previously assumed..

"Wz- Wx- What's the plan?" He buzzed, his chest rising as he inhaled, "Storm the golden gate of Hz- Hx- Heaven, and show them what for?"

"That's a second death sentence and you know it, Vox." Velvet scolded, her voice heavy with sleep as she re-situated herself on her chair, her pale eyes blinking rapidly before she narrowed them at the male. "You're fucking stupid for even thinking that." Her words held venom and she seemed to mean it, even as Vox's face flickered to something deadly, "It's a fucking joke you stupid bitch-"

"That's quite enough." Alastor cut in, radio tin sharpening with the static humming in the air as he stopped the two from bickering further. Red on red eyes move between the two Overlords, as if daring them to try again, the gesture is offending- as they were all on equal ground, even with the exception of Lucifer and Charlie- but they didn't really seem to care. Alastor backed off, pleased with their silence, before he nods towards for Lucifer to continue.

And so he does, a trying look takes his pale face and suddenly the beaming king drops his Cheshire grin for something more serious, "I've thought about this before, moving Hell's population elsewhere for safe keeping, and I think it's our best chances at conserving energy if Heaven ever tried to attack us again." His shoes clacked against the hardwood of Charlie's office floor, and his taloned hands plant themselves on her dark desk as he spares a calculating stare around the room. "God won't destroy the overworld, He's worked too hard on it for it to be dumped. _But He can destroy me_ \- and if He does that all of Hell will be gone as well because it is of my creation."

"If God wanted us dead already, then why hasn't He done it already?" Valentino questions, his arms on his hips as he strode closer to Alastor's side of the desk, his far larger frame dwarfing the deer demon as he stops three feet shy of his side, he could see where most of the eldest's attention was being given, "You said it yourself, He could do whatever the fuck He wants and we'd never be in the way again- so why put it off?"

Lucifer took pause at that, his brows furrowing as he tries for a rational answer, _Why hadn't God killed them all yet?_

Did He actually want them dead?

Surely He was still in Heaven with the others, _Lucifer knew He was real, he'd seen Him with his own eyes before. God was his literal father after all! Eh...Creator had a better ring to it._

But Valentino had a damn good point, if God was still around giving orders and sending Angels into Lucifer's domain in attempts to purge Hell of all it's inhabitants..

Why weren't they _all_ dead?

"That's enough of an answer for me," Alastor offered, moving his microphone more onto the desk, before he adjusted his monocle. There was a shift in his body language, a tentative test of his legs before he shifted his weight more to the right as to not stress his wound; for the moment, Valentino's presence beside him was allowed until further notice. With a static heavy sigh the red demon offers the king another look, supporting if anything, "We can deal with that when it comes back up. Please, continue with what you were saying." A scorched hand gestures to the eldest demon, once again giving the other the spotlight before he carefully clasped both clawed hands behind his back.

Lucifer looked at the red demon for a moment, and if the situation hadn't already grown dark, it certainly hit rock bottom when the paler male began to frown. Charlie was quick to try and stop the offending expression that _rarely, if ever,_ occupied her father's face. Her chair squealed it's protest as the veered closer, blonde hair now tightly tied back in a high ponytail, while her eyes shone with a sympathetic love for her father.

"You said that you wanted to get the remaining demons out of Hell, how do you want to do that?"

"I'm going to use an extension of my powers to rid Hell of it's lesser demons."

The Overlords in the room could only squint at the King, and thankfully the tense silence was broken by Charlie before any one of them could question Lucifer's logic- _They weren't lesser demons, there were no more lesser demons in Hell anymore, they had all be killed before the purge had even started._

"And..how would that work?"

Lucifer rolled his neck and shoulders, something obviously stressing him in the moment as his gaze flitted towards the drowsy looking Overlords that watched them. Charlie was even starting to look tired at this point, but she was looking better than Vox and Velvet who had been nodding off during Lucifer's silence. "I've been leeching off the remaining powers in Hell, trying to get as much strength to return to my own before I go through with this. It's why you all feel so drained all of a sudden." He explained awkwardly, eyebrows pulling together as his mouth stretched into a strained line; he was making a face that Alastor could only describe as a ' _Charlie Expression_ '.

Well at least they knew now that Charlie was actually Lucifer's daughter- there was no denying that fact now.

And they also found the reason as to why they felt so tired, so that was also good.

"Yz- Yx- You've been leeching off of us?" Vox clarified steadily, devil eyes narrowing bitterly as the eldest demon nodded once, firmly, "Fucking bullshit, why can't you just use one of the- Oz- Ox- Oh I don't know, one of the _lesser gods_ for your power sucking?" The male's screen lurched forward as Velvet clapped a hand across the back of it, "He's still in charge down here, Vox! He probably has a good reason as to not use the other gods."

Alastor felt his Eldritch powers wither at the revelation, they didn't like that idea, so he couldn't help but dislike it either. But Lucifer quickly explained his reasons, "I'll be speaking to the lesser gods to try and find some middle ground. Maybe they could help out with a defense."

"They'll be in danger of being erased as well if Hell's destroyed." Alastor agreed after a beat of silence, "After all they were created from beliefs that make people go to Hell."

"Seven deadly sins type shit?" Valentino questioned, leaning closer as he spoke, he'd never dabbled to far into such things; sure he knew about their existence, but he didn't really care for them. He had his businesses, that was all he ever wanted and needed.

Alastor gave him a dark stare, now realizing the closeness, there was still some leftover wrath in those crimson eyes, but it seemed the red demon was finally settling down, " _Something_ like that, but not quite. They're balanced around those sins individually, but they branch off into other things."

Alastor returned his attention back to Lucifer, ignoring the acknowledging hum that rumbled from the roach, "We won't be able to stay in the overworld, even if you force us through with what power you're able to gather. Time there is limited, there are rules."

"Rules that I set in stone, yes I know." Lucifer dismissed, shaking his head "I can redirect the rules to better suit the needs. I thought of it!" Charlie looked between the two, chewing the insides of her cheek as Alastor raised a brow curiously, "We all are aware that when you step into the human world you have one day before your old human body can no longer hold you. Right?"

Velvet gave a small nod, knowing these rules well, she had business in the real world after all. "Mhm, pain in my ass when people don't show up with the merchandise I asked for on the correct day."

"Well. I think that if we completely dispose of the possibilities of you having to host a dead body for yourself, there's a chance that your demon forms will be allowed to stay, there may be backlash- there may not be- but it's a chance we need to take."

Charlie twiddled her thumbs, her hands being cupped together on her desk as she leaned forward in her chair, she looked deep in thought. Alastor noticed her stupor, his ears flickered towards her as he addressed her sudden silence, "What's on your mind, my dear?"

Dark eyes lift to meet with Alastor's glowing optics, allowing her friend to see the sudden worry that coursed through the blonde's gaze, if only for a second, before she looked to her father. "You said all of Hell's people, but I'm Hellborn. I can't-.. _Can I go with them?_ I- is that even possible?" Alastor followed her stare, letting his own settle on Lucifer's sober expression as the smaller male seemed to internally deflate.

"The only people that will not be going is myself, and your mother, Charlie."

Charlie's head snapped up, her claws unintentionally coming out and scraping against the desk as she jumped to her feet, "Y-You..you can't be serious. _Why are you staying? Why is mom staying?!"_

"Charlotte, I'm bound to Hell. The very idea of it may be of my creation, but it is my life long punishment until I'm erased from existence." Lucifer explains, expression staying calm despite his daughter's anguish. "Your mother.. _stubbornly_ , doesn't want to leave my side." He could see the Overlord's in the room shift awkwardly, probably not wanting to be present for such a conversation, but for some reason Alastor was statue still as they argued back and forth, his ears flickering back and forth a mile a minute.

"Then..I'll stay too!" Charlie insists, not yet noticing the red demon's sudden shift in behavior.

Her resistance only irritated her father further, " _No._ You're going with the others where it's safe, you'll be safest when your as far away as possible!"

The room suddenly chilled over.

A newfound caution hitting both Charlie and Alastor as the seal was suddenly breached by an unknown entity. Charlie pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead, trying to remove the sudden swaying feeling, as Alastor's body went rigid; the red demon's shadow was going crazy, it's presence fading as it's chitters and cries sounded far to distant and muffled for it's master to understand.

_What was it saying..?_

Alastor was about to teleport straight towards the creature, probably not the best of ideas, but before he could he was suddenly swarmed by a blob of black lunging for his person. Alastor only stumbled a little as his shadow coiled around his thin frame, it's ears down and it's jagged teeth bared in a grinning smile. It was watching the door like a hawk, and it forced currents of it's own discomfort towards it's master, inwardly begging for the male to see it.

But whatever it was sending, it was muted. Alastor _couldn't_ feel what the other was feeling- or at least he couldn't get a proper read on it.

For all Alastor cared, all he was receiving was a headache.

The other's occupying the room saw Alastor get jumped by his shadow, and heard the puff of air the red male released when he was assaulted by the sudden frozen embrace the shade provided. Black singed ears tip back as the dark creature removes it's gaze from the door to look at Alastor, it's usual upturned eyes now wide, while it's body twitched.

" _What did you see..?_ " Alastor questioned, mostly to himself, as he moved towards the door with the shade slung across his shoulders, he rounded Valentino quickly, grin sharp with wariness as he passed Velvet's chair.

Charlie stood as well, hastily following after the Radio Demon, something was off, nothing felt right- everything just felt weird.

Just as Alastor got close enough to grab the door's knob, his wrist was clasped tightly by his shade's claws, it's void filled eyes flitting with static as it halted it's master from moving farther. It was saying something to him, something Alastor just couldn't translate for the life of him.

It was angering.

_Why couldn't he understand it?_

The thoughts were gone as soon as they came.

For a loud bang sounded. Cracking heavy with a loud recoil Alastor could hear, even without seeing it.

And it surely was not the building's croaking interior.

* * *

Husk was getting tired of this.

Between Angel's constant pacing back and forth behind the kitchen's island, and Nifty's inability to sit without doing _something_ , and Vaggie's constant swings of indecision-

Husk was about to have a fucking brain aneurysm.

_And they were going to be the cause of it._

By the time he had downed his fourth drink of the morning, Nifty had all but finished making sure the dishes around the sink, in the sink, and inside the cupboards were clean and sparkling. Now the female was sitting by his side, taking his offered arm with dangerous gratitude in order to start braiding the short, coarse, fur that adorned his body- this usually is what ended up happening when Nifty needed to be still for a while. It was either Husk or Alastor that got this job, as the others were usually go getters as well and moved around a lot. Usually she'd be lunging for their ears at this point, but for now she seemed content with the frail making of braids.

To bad she left her sewing kit in the lobby, huh? That would be so helpful right now.

Husk let the bottle tap against the counter, ears flicking towards Vaggie as the grey haired woman grumbled something about going out there to help Charlie with the supposed Overlords. But Husk, once again warded her from the door as soon as booming static crackled from the outside.

_Yup, Alastor was getting pissy, there was no need to get in his way.._

"I wouldn't." Husk comments, amber eyes meeting Vaggie's glaring one with far to much sobriety for the gaze to _actually_ belong to the cat demon, "Al'll take care of her, and if he doesn't she'll fucking take care of herself. She's not helpless, kid." _"But she's against acts of violence!"_ "Funny, I coulda swore I saw her burn an Executioner alive to save your ass."

Vaggie paused, her scowl lightening up into something more bashful, " _That's_ different."

"It ain't." Husk retorts, "Trust me kid, it ain't. She'd do anything to keep you and this hotel safe, and if that means offing a couple of degenerate Overlords then I'm sure she'd do it." He takes a failing sip from an already empty bottle, his mind forgetting that he had already finished it moments before; a flash of annoyance passes the tom's expression before he looks back at Vaggie with a trying glare, "And I'll fucking say it again, Alastor has her covered. He's not gonna let anything happen to Charlie- you and I both know it."

Something resembling jealousy falls on Vaggie's face and Husk points a finger at her, "Don't even start that thought, you know they ain't like that. Charlie fucking loves you, it shows on her face every day." _Why the hell was Husk saying all of this?_ "And we all know that Alastor-" Husk struggled for the right words to describe his boss/oldest friend, "Alastor don't like anybody in that way."

Suddenly Angel's pacing paused as the arachnid turned to listen to their conversation.

_Shit, he was way to sober for this.._

Thankfully Nifty was there to add her two cents, "Plus!" The one eye'd demon smiles, "Charlie clearly looks at Alastor like a guiding figure! I've seen how they act- it kinda reminds me of when I first met him!" "Yeah, I guess he was pretty fond of you when you two met, probably still is." Husk mustered a smile as Nifty tugged his fur dejectedly, "That's incredibly rude, Husk! Of course Alastor still likes me!" 

"Uh-huh, sure."

"You're just jealous, _he enjoys cooking with me and not you!_ "

The entire kitchen was taken off guard when Husk _actually sputtered out a laugh_ , "I ain't jealous for shit, and you know it!" The tom chuckled, "The reason I don't cook for anyone is cause I shed and _no one_ likes cat hair in their food! Alastor kicks me out of the kitchen because of that fact." 

Nifty pondered on her next thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers and pointing at Husk with a grin, "We dance together sometimes!"

"You really wanna play this game, kid? Cause I'm usually the one behind the music to your little swings." He then looks smug, " _And_ I don't dance."

"Oh, I give up." Nifty tugs her seventh braid tight and grins as Husk winced.

Thankfully their little bicker fight was enough to staple the other two to the kitchen; sure Vaggie still grumbled, and Angel still looked stressed as fuck, but at least no one was leaving the room in a blind fury or a hurry.

However all was settled quickly when the radio buzzed to life on the counter top. Alastor's voice cut through the static like a hot knife through butter, and there was a venom in his voice that promised repercussions if a certain roach continued down the narrow path he'd been put upon as soon as he stepped foot into the hotel,

" _Refrain from using pet names. This is your first warning."_

Angel was by the counter with Vaggie within seconds, their eyes wide and ears all but open as they greedily took the chance to spy on the Overlords and Charlie. There were moments when they were quiet, every so often Vox would chime in with a irritated sigh or a comment about Alastor's 'tedious' frequency process, but otherwise calm and quiet.

Thank fuck for that, Vaggie wasn't sure if she could take it if there were standing neck deep in tension. 

But back to the radio, Alastor was quick on every complaint that Vox voiced, always shooting back with his glee of the other being bored out of his mind, saying that it was entertaining. Angel couldn't help but smile at that.

But it fell when Valentino spoke.

" _Cut it out, Voxxy."_ Angel shuddered at the tone the pimp used, knowing good and well what it was used for as he seldom worried for both Alastor and Charlie who were in the room with the sleaze lord, " _we got a nice view anyways, better this than his bad side. Am I right?"_ Static buzzed from the other side, a trailing, almost fading, buzz that Angel usually compared to a thought hum. But Valentino cut in once more before the static could ease his fright, " _Ya know I just had a nice thought of my own,"_

Husk frowned at the tone as well, a large eyebrow lifting. He was kinda surprised Alastor hadn't gutted the guy yet.

_"Yeah, just got a nice visual of you on your back, laying against that desk. Legs open, primed and ready for someone ta come'en fuck you."_

_Oh, that should do him in there._ Husk nearly grinned as a crash eventually sounded from the other side.

The next near minute was quiet, the static coming from the radio garbled with heavy jerks in the sound and painful buzzing before they quieted down to the regular hum. The door to the kitchen swung faintly as a dark figure slunk inside, and those inside were a little surprised to see Alastor's shadow carefully looking up at them from the floor. Angel looked down from the radio, still keeping his ears open for any cue of them needing to be back up, and for anything that he needed to hear, but his main attention was on the shade that _looked_ like it was sulking.

"What happened? Al kick ya out or somethin'?" Angel questioned, irking the smoking fiend to slink closer to the arachnid. It stopped beside Husk's chair to stare up at the tall male, and Angel could only laugh as it nodded, "Poor thing. I bet you're the one behind Val's sudden silent treatment, huh?" He was vaguely aware of Lucifer's presence now over the radio; but he found himself grinning wider when the shadow nodded again, far more enthusiastic this time. 

The shade's cold aura only grew as Angel gave it attention, it gave a silent coo- something Alastor heard but didn't react or respond to- climbing up Husk's chair before slinking over the tom's shoulder, ignoring the shivering protest from the warm male as it carefully coiled around Angel's shoulders.

_This was nice._ It declared inwardly, sending comforting and patient waves towards it's master as it nestled against Angel's warm neck. Once again ignoring the shiver that came from the pale male as it's cold presence chilled him to the bone, "Jeesh..," Angel chattered, suppressing several shivers, before using his hands to rub his arms in order to warm himself back up, "How the fuck does Al keep you on him for so long? You're _freezing_!" 

Two ears flicker down and Angel takes it as the shade being offended, instead of it cuddling up to the warm body and greedily eating away at the complements at had been thrown it's way. "Ah, shit.." Angel tsked, "I didn't mean it like that, _I guess you can stay up there if you want_ \- but you're gonna hafta get down soon or I'm gonna become a Spider-sicle and nobody wants that."

He then turned his attention back to the radio, slowly getting used to the unnatural cold over his shoulders as Lucifer explained his plan to get Hell's sinners topside. It was kinda crazy to hear it, but Angel had hope that it would work- even if the other's looked a bit skeptic.

Angel looked back at the others when Vaggie voiced her worries, always blunt that girl was, Angel appreciated that in a person- and it suited Vaggie well to have such a trait. He could feel Alastor's shadow move around slightly, as if following something with it's head, but he paid it no mind as Nifty and Husk added their own opinions on such a matter. It wasn't until the shadow slipped off Angel's shoulders that he decided to give his own thoughts, telling the other's that the plan could work, and that even if it didn't they wouldn't stop until they had it figured out.

The quiet gasp went past his ears, but Alastor's shadow barreling out of the room caught their attention almost immediately.

Confusion entered the group, and they cautiously looked back to the radio to try and figure out if something had turned sour on the other end.

_But the radio was dead quiet._

_Not even static emitted from it._

They all shared a glance.

And Angel nearly jumped out of his skin when a gunshot rang out behind him, and Vaggie crumpled to the floor with her side bleeding profusely.

He turned around on the dime, manifesting his Tommy guns in pure instincts, and aimed.. _down_ at their attacker-

_Only to pause at the small body pointing a loaded pistol at his head._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is the thought of Alastor and Nifty dancing adorable? Why did I give myself these thoughts? Oh well.
> 
> Hahha why do I do cliffhangers, I piss myself off when I do them- cause now I gotta one up this one!


	13. And So The Dam Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evil author giggles-
> 
> But seriously guys, take the tags wholeheartedly, this is quite the slow burn- and I usually try to make my story's plot make some type of sense before I even look in the direction of a coupled pair- (That's a different type of focus my brain has trouble with registering.) So if the 'lovey dovey' moments are literal blink and you'll miss it moments, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to be patient for more prominent moments ^^'
> 
> Charlie and Vaggie are pretty easy to do, as I don't really have to build up a relationship, since it's pretty much already there. But Alastor and Angel- Whoo~ boy- it's gonna be a rough run, for me, but I'm determined to make it! And here I was thinking their bonding moment in Chapter 7 was pretty good-
> 
> Anyways, just keep those in mind as you go on- enjoy the chapter guys <3

* * *

Angel's body moved before his brain even registered that there was a holy gun pointed at his head.

All of his arms moved in tandem, letting his own weapons drop before he grabbed the barrel of the pistol and forced it up towards the ceiling, his lower pair crashing against the attacker's chest and stomach.

The smaller person was compliant- weak in their stance- it didn't take much for them to give in as their finger squeezed the trigger to let the rest of the bullets fly into the ceiling. Angel was a surprisingly strong person, even if his stature seemed twig-like, no one seemed to realize that he could overpower someone else with ease. Perhaps muscle memory of having to disarm people during his lifetime came back into play, even if he wasn't able to cleanly rip the gun out of their hands.

Five more shots sounded before the chamber clicked empty. Angel wrenched the pistol from their grasp, his lower pairs of hands shoving them back against the stove as a breath wheezed out of their mouth.

_"That was a stupid fucking move on yer part pal-"_

A tone that was rarely ever used by the spider, barked out of his throat, ripping his vocal cords as they churned into a snarl, but it cut short as he took in the frame of the person he had pinned.

Behind him Husk and Nifty were by Vaggie's side, Nifty had collected most of all the dish rags available and was now pressing them against the girl's side while Husk sat her up. He'd nearly lunged at her attacker, but seeing Angel take care of them so easily was enough for the tom to back off in order to aid their injured.

Amber eyes cast towards the discarded pistol as Angel slammed it to the ground, and suddenly he was letting out a breath of relief.

It had been one of the pistols he'd let Charlie use for practice.

It was a holy gun, but without the bullets that went with it properly it was basically harmless to a demon- worse thing that could happen is the victim would get knocked on their ass with a considerable amount of pain- And Vaggie had already gone through that-

So she would be okay, as far as Husk was concerned.

"Augh.. _That_ _sucked_." Vaggie croaked, her breath finally starting to calm as the wound on her side easily began to seal over. She'd have some internal bruising and pain for a while, but the wound wouldn't stay for more then a minute, and no one seemed to care that a bullet would still be in her body- so.. _whatever_. Husk kneeled by her side, offering a hand, "You're lucky this fucker don't know the difference between holy bullets and regular ones." He jabbed a claw in the direction of Angel and Vaggie's attacker- still not having a face to the person.

Vaggie managed to sit forward in order to look over towards the two, her single eye narrowed dangerously as Angel's body went rigid. She didn't notice the shift, and quite frankly the grey girl didn't look as if she cared- no, _what she wanted to know is why the fuck this demon thought it'd be a good idea to come into this hotel and shoot it to shit_

"The hell was that?! Why the fuck are you shooting at us?!" Vaggie demanded, gratefully taking Husk's hand in order to get herself upright.

But the three others missed the words that sputtered from the arachnid friend, how his glare faltered from hatred to utter surprise, and how his stone hard grip loosened just enough for the one in his hold to squeeze free.

" _How the_ _fuck are ya here?"_

A boot hit his shin, kicking it several times, aggressively, as the fiend Angel had pinned suddenly slipped from his grasp. They ducked away as the spider cursed and veered away to clutch his throbbing leg, their shadow near to nothing as they bolted from the kitchen and out into the lobby. Husk was quick to stand to move towards the stash of weapons in the corner, just as Angel picked his Tommy guns up and shoved through the door.

"Angel!" Nifty shouts breathlessly, still a little floored at everything that was moving so fast, " _Don't go after them alone!_ " Her little body couldn't be any faster as popped to her feet in order to go after the tall male- but thankfully she didn't have to go far to stop him

It was sudden, and certainly unseen, but by the black mist that suddenly hit Angel midstep through the door, Nifty could tell that it was Alastor's shadow as it phased through Angel head on.

She deemed it okay to leave things there, as Alastor was surely behind the poor thing, so she quickly went back to Vaggie's side in order to help the other.

Outside the door, was a new type of chaotic however.

Angel's bones nearly froze on the spot as Alastor's shadow coiled around his midsection, recovering from the surprising collision as it swirled back to it's original form. Luminescent blue eyes glow as they stitch back together, subtly narrowed at the sight of the arachnid looking so frazzled. But confusion turned to concern when it saw the weapons Angel brandished in his hands.

"You again?" Angel shook himself, freeing himself from the sudden embrace of cold, "The hell ya zipping aroun' for? Where'd that lil shit stain go?!"

The shade only tilted it's head at the choice of words, and could only guess Angel was talking of the creature it noticed back in the kitchen. From the looks of things, it was like the fiend had bolted away before the shade could drag it's master after it.

_Curses!_

A hiss, silent as ever, slithered past the shadow's bared teeth it's body's smoke tethered farther upwards; it scanned the lobby floor for any signs of the stowaway hiding in the lobby and was nearly about to sink into the shadows that cascaded from the bar's overhang, before it took pause at the sight of Angel's mismatched eyes brightening slightly.

Turning abruptly with teeth bared, the dark fiend's ears lowered- it's body twitching just a tad when it's master halted just behind it, crimson optics narrowed just a touch at how frustrating the muffled connection was starting to become.

Alastor's grin did not falter, even with his irritation growing, but when his eyes lifted to meet with Angel's some of that tension seemed to disappear when he noticed the male wasn't in too much of a panic.

"Al!" Angel breathed, relief evident "You will _not_ believe the shit that just hap..-" Magenta eyes lock onto the body behind Alastor, specifically the large frame that loomed over the red clad demon. ".pened.."

Something constricted, painfully so, inside of Angel's chest; knocking what little breath he had out of his lungs, while his grips on his Thompsons slackened.

Disguised terror came out in the form of a uneasy step, catching Alastor's attention as the taller male's gaze suddenly darkened with fright.

Alastor's brows furrowed, the parade of footfalls behind him making him well aware that he had been followed out, Charlie adorning his left side made that clear as day- so what had Angel's tongue so tied? Had the angels returned? _Were they right behind them?_

Confused, genuinely so, Alastor causally glanced over his shoulder to see Valentino looming overhead. Most certainly breaking his five foot rule, and shattering the last plea for at least two feet of distance. The sleaze lord looked incredibly content with being so close, perhaps even a little surprised to see his prized star standing their breathing and 'alive'.

But for all Alastor cared, the bug was far to close for him to even _begin_ to think about blocking his sight from Angel.

Thankfully his shadow was doing that for him.

Static rolled off the grinning fiend in waves, coiling tightly in the air as the Valentino squinted his own red gaze at the spider stood shock still before them. It didn't take it long for it to click that Angel was actually alive, even if the shadow in front of him was a major distraction- _as it still seemed ready to maul_.

But Valentino could only grin as his _star_ took a small step back.

" _Angie_ , _baby._ Gotta say, I'm _impressed_ that you got out of the Studios in one piece. Glad you made it out though, it hurt to know that one of my favorite toys would be lost forever." Valentino cooed, stepping even closer to Alastor to further solidify the fact that the Radio Demon couldn't do to much to stop him. Charlie had him under her fingers, no way in Hell Alastor would get on her bad side now..

 _Right_?

The pulse of static that sizzled through his frame, tingling his muscles and bones as it went, did not go unnoticed, nor did the bristling shadow that now swarmed Valentino's gaze from Angel's.

Being beside Charlie, it wasn't hard to miss the way the room began to warm up. Alastor stayed unnervingly quiet, trying very hard to keep his shadow under wraps- even if the poor thing couldn't hear his consoling words-

But the male was having trouble keeping himself locked together. So how could that even work?

Valentino was close, _to close_ , Alastor could feel the inklings of a breath hitting the back of his neck, and at the distance the roach was in Alastor could swear he heard a heart beat thrumming healthily in Valentino's chest.

It spurred his stomach on with a hunger induced pang that only dismayed the red male further- as his body _screamed_ at him to move away. To create enough distance to stop that insistent thrum that tapped a rhythmic beats into Alastor's more predatory senses.

But he couldn't.

His presence and his shadow were keeping Valentino where he was standing. If they moved, he'd be on Angel.

No way Alastor would let that happen. Never again.

_But **why** did the roach have to stand so damn close?_

Alastor's grin stretched far, nearly splitting his face, as his shadow spiraled upwards to meet Valentino's height evenly. Something that Alastor would've objected, but could not because of the jam between their bond.

 _He_ was losing control, _they_ were losing control-

_They were losing each other._

But Charlie seemed to have herself pulled together.

Heat sang off the blonde girl as she backed behind Alastor in order to create a third blockade between Angel and Valentino. Her smaller body creating just a small weight against Alastor's back as she planted a firm hand on Valentino's shoulder in order to back him up a little. There were subtle hints of her horns peaking through her hairline, just barely cresting above her blond locks, while her eyes sparked with a calloused warning.

Valentino only raised a mocking brow rising to his full height and jostling Charlie's hand from his shoulder. He was aware of the situation, but decided to not take it seriously- even as the Princess crossed her arms. _How cute.. such a sweet, innocent, little, thing trying to make a bastard do right._

"S'matter, Blondie? I ain't doing nothing bad-"

"If you would, _please_ , take five steps back." Charlie informed, calm as ever.

Vox and Velvet backed away almost instantly, never needing to hear more- even if Lucifer wasn't present, they knew better- 

_Charlie was still the Princess of Hell._

_Everything her father had in him, she had it too- and then some._

"I was able to save you once," She reminded Valentino of before; of how one glance was barely enough to stop Alastor from tearing the bug open, "but if you _continue_ to push your luck even I won't be quick enough to stop him."

"Treating the Radio Demon as your pet, huh Princess? That's another _really_ nice thought-" The lobby was suddenly screeching with white noise, the shadows along the walls dancing wildly to it's unbidden song, as Alastor's form flickered to it's much more sinister second-

Lucifer found himself grinning pleasantly as Valentino backed off, a displeased frown adorning the Overlord's muted blue face as he crossed his two pairs of arms loosely. Charlie seeming to be proud of herself as well, promptly removed her barely noticeable touch from Alastor's back before carefully rounding the grinning fiend in order to prioritize Angel's sudden distress. "What's going on, Angel? We heard a gunshot!"

Angel _looked_ like he wanted to answer, but his mind seemed like it couldn't form the correct words and process Valentino's presence standing in front of him at the same time. His body shook faintly, but Alastor could smell the fear that leaked off his person. And by the way to spider was struggling to get just a noise out, Alastor suddenly realized that this was starting to become a fruitless attempt at getting answers.

A sharp sigh came out of Alastor's nose, the hiss baring down on his shadow- that had thankfully shrunk down to normal size-. The shade tilted it's head, it's crescent eyes down turned in visual worry as it couldn't project it over it's bond. 

A single ear flick, told it everything.

Alastor's left ear swung gracefully, and quickly, back, framing the three Overlord's behind him as an unwanted audience.

The shade bared it's dark fangs, before taking up the larger form once more and crossing behind it's master in order to create a curtain.

"Angel Dust." Alastor began, noticing the way the taller male's eyes seemed to refocus, "Can you look at us, please?" He could sense Charlie's presence starting to cool, being replaced by her worry instead.

A short lived rage, but it's probably better that way.

Mismatched eyes flicker between Alastor and Charlie, and finally Angel seemed to get a proper breath in when seeing them alone together. Charlie took a cautious step towards the arachnid, and it was taken with the pairs of swooping arms that engulfed the girl entirely. Alastor jerked away at the sudden movement, static jostling in the air as Angel released a strangled breath. Thankfully though the spider paid no attention to the jolt, only focused on the embrace he held Charlie in while his eyes squeezed shut.

Despite Alastor being clueless, Charlie seemed to know why she was suddenly pressed tightly against the male's unnatural bust. With a sympathetic hum the girl eased her arms around Angel, successfully grounding him from his horror induced thoughts that Valentino brought back into play. 

_He won't hurt you anymore,_ is what her strong, reassuring, hold said, _I won't let him touch you. We won't let him touch you._

"Angel.." Charlie eventually squeezed out of her tight throat, this was starting to get to her- she could feel her eyes start to water, "C'mon, look at me, what's going on?"

She was released almost instantly, and the expression Angel had on his face was a new type of horror, he quickly looked back to the kitchen before he returned his gaze to the stairs going deeper into the hotel. Heart pounding Angel once again tries, and fails, to get proper wording out of his mouth- instead a list of noises that tumbled out in an unsightly display of uncoordinated thinking.

"My dear," Alastor soothed, "Focus." He was properly in Angel's sight now, "Think then speak."

A deep inhale.

And then it came out.

_"There was human in the kitchen!"_

Alastor's eyebrows lifted, his ears carefully locking forward as he gave the taller male a hesitant look.

_Of ALL the things that could've come out of Angel's mouth, that was by far the last thing Alastor expected._

Charlie seemed just as skeptic, but seeing as this day was full of surprises Alastor supposed he shouldn't be too harsh on the other man.

" _Pardon_?"

"Don't give me that look, Smiles." Angel begged quietly, finally straightening up as he looked back towards the stairs, "There was a human in there, I pinned 'em to the stove after they shot Vaggie but the little shit got away." Charlie went rigid, her eyes blowing wide as she hastily shot her hands up, " _Vaggie was shot?!"_ She demanded, forgetting the last bit to instead rush towards the kitchen in order to find her injured girlfriend.

Alastor watched her go with little protest, instead glancing back at his shadow just in time to see it nodding it's head insistently to further Angel's claim. Wary now, Alastor's grin lessened, just a tad, as he addressed the spider once more, "Where did this _human_ go?" He inquired, blinking when Angel fixed his grips on his Tommy guns, "It ran out the damn kitchen door, and before I could see where they'd go I ran into your shadow- they might be upstairs, but Hell if I know."

A clawed hand curled together, and suddenly Alastor's shadow split into three different copies, while the original stayed standing there- still acting as a curtain. Alastor gave the three a once over, two had different shades of pink eyes while the last one had bright glowing yellow orbs. His grin curled slightly, and when it did the shadows' did as well.

"Search the hotel for a human," He ordered, ear twitching as the three new shadows looked to each other before dispersing at great speeds.

And it didn't take one of the pink-eye'd ones to return with narrowed orbs and bared teeth.

Once again, they ran into the problem of not being able to understand each other through the bond, and the fact that _none of his shadows could speak outwardly_. Though slightly irritating, Alastor gestured the smoking fiend towards the stairs, "Lead the way, if you would." His ears popped back up, and as they did the shadow behind Alastor dropped and scurried up the stairway after it's pink eye'd sibling. With quick hands, and even quicker feet, Alastor easily steered Angel towards the stairs and push him along with him.

Angel only managed to get a glimpse at the King's and the Overlords' lost expressions before he was turned around.

"Come on, my dear! We're going hunting!" He informed merrily, putting on a show for the Overlords and the King who still stood patiently for the next course of action, "Please if you all would, just stay down there- Charlie will be right back! I am terribly afraid that there is some unfinished business Angel and I have to attend to!"

Lucifer could only watch at the two peculiar demons scurried away up the stairs; his dark eyes casting to the other's beside him.

_"Does anyone else have an idea of what just happened?"_

* * *

When Charlie burst into the kitchen with wide and watering eyes, she nearly ran Husk over as he peered through the crack he made through the door in order to watch the others. So when he saw Charlie beeline for the door, he'd all but leapt out of the way before it swung open on him. She busted in like a raging bull, and that facade had all but crumbled seeing her lover leaning back against the counter carefully dabbing at her shirt, in a fruitless attempt to rid it of blood.

Vaggie could feel her heart sinking as the girl locked eyes with her own. Nifty had bolted from her side seeing Charlie's changing expression, knowing good and well to not make any blockades between the two as the blonde let out a soft breath.

"Oh thank goodness! You're okay!" Charlie cried, lunging forward and swarming the grey haired girl in a tight embrace.

Vaggie grit her teeth, but stayed as quiet as she possibly could in order to weave her arms around her lover, patiently waiting for the other girl to pull back in order to crack a small smile "'Course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be-?" Lips against her own abruptly cut the girl off before she could finish her own joke. Charlie had practically smacked their faces together in a sloppy, chaste, kiss while an ugly sob broke past her lips. She curled against Vaggie's aching frame, digging her fingers into the other's shoulders as she held on to Vaggie like a lifeline.

Vaggie couldn't help it, she had to laugh at this.

With a strained chuckle the grey haired girl cupped her lover's cheek before peeling her away in order to stare at the teary eye'd girl, incredulous at how torn up she'd gotten over such a small wound. "A-Angel said you'd been shot!" Charlie choked out, far to deep into her own stress to reel back into her normal self now. Vaggie could've been on her death bed, she could _be dead_ , and Charlie would've never gotten to see her again!

"Only by a holy gun with regular bullets, Charlie." She reassured, blinking wildly when she was tugged closer once more "Hon, I'm fine! Really!"

"You could've been killed!"

Vaggie once again couldn't stop herself.

She could only smile fondly as her girlfriend finally let herself break, as terrible as that actually sounded.

Charlie had been bottling up her thoughts and emotions for the better part of the week, and there had been way to much stress and worry for the poor girl to process in such little time. Not to mention, the little freak out with Alastor had only gotten her out of her stupor for just a few minutes- though Alastor would've commented on that, as it probably felt like hours to the man- but letting this shit out was important. Vaggie had seen it happen with Angel before, she'd seen it with Husk as well- 

Even Vaggie had gone through it, damn near speared Alastor through the chest for causing it to happen too.

To say the least, it's never pretty when someone snapped, wasn't easy either. Especially if it was one that popped up out of the blue, like Charlie's.

Plus, Vaggie wasn't opposed to holding her for a while.

Husk and Nifty however, seemed completely on edge as they stood on the sidelines.

"So.." Nifty started, rocking back and forth on her heels, " _What are we going to do now?_ "

"Gotta know where Angel went," Husk offered, "S'Alastor with him?" He wondered aloud as he peered back out the crack of the kitchen door in order to see the Overlords and the King once more. Oddly enough, they were still just _standing_ there in a slight daze- as if they were unsure of what to do next.

Despite that, Alastor and Angel were not out there with them anymore.

Husk couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"Charlie where did Al and Angel go?" Husk questioned ear flicking back as the girl tried to smother one of her sobs.

_"S-SoMeThinG ..a-AbOUt.. A HuMan?"_

Husk blinked at the barely comprehensible sentence that blubbered out of the blonde, her breath hiccuping, violently, halfway through her words as she cursed softly before burying her face against Vaggie's shoulder again. Husk could see her girlfriend bit her lip in order to stop another chuckle, a sympathetic amusement baring from the grey haired woman as she cradled the sobbing girl.

"What the fuck is happening?" The tom questioned aloud, seriously stumped now.

"Fuck off Husk, just give her a damn minute alright?" Vaggie's mood disappeared almost instantly, replaced by her usual hostilities.

"I am giving her a minute!" Husk defended himself, clearly understanding the predicament, "I'm just- _how the fuck_ did she go from happy go cheery to just fucking sad?!" He could feel his fur bristle at the glare Vaggie mustered up to fix him with, but Nifty was there before she could get her piece in, "Husk, that's not exactly the nicest thing to say-"

"I _know I know, I say stupid shit without thinking."_ He conceded, before letting a sigh drag out from his mouth in order to reword his last sentence.

"Care to explain why your girlfriend has been emotionally constipated? Haven't you two been talking about this shit? Not even that- _we_ need to figure out where the others are and get these Overlord asshats outta here! No good can come from them staying here for so long!"

"People deal with stress in different ways, Husk." Nifty chastised quietly, but let off her glare when Vaggie released a heavy sigh; in her arms Charlie had calmed down severely- but it was clear she showed no intentions of getting up any time soon, "We've been talking, but s'like Nifty said- stress comes in different flavors for people. Charlie just bottles up the bad things until something _like this_ ," She gestures to her healed gunshot wound, "comes and fucks her brain up. We'll find Al and Angel soon, just give her a minute to pull together.."

Amber eyes blink thoughtfully, before Husk drops the thing entirely and crosses his arms patiently, "We can't do shit anyways. No way in hell I'm pissing off the pricks outside in order to run them out. So I guess we are waiting till either Al shows up or Charlie get's her act straight."

"Or if the Overlord's get bored and leave." Nifty points out with a weak smile.

"Guess that could happen too." 

Husk seriously doubted the last one, but he supposed a little waiting never hurt anybody..

 _Right_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter, I'll admit- but I didn't like leaving you guys on that cliffhanger when I made myself angry with it.  
> Hope you all enjoyed!  
> <3


	14. To Hide The Strings Of A Marionette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY FRICKIN' APRIL MY DUDES, This is a big chapter, but it's my new favorite! Even though my fingers hurt!
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> ALSO I might alter chapter 13 a little bit- it depends on whether or not I feel like it though! There'll be a notice on that chapter if I do.

* * *

Alastor followed after his shadow quickly, crimson eyes darting to every corner as they went. He'd never admit it, but he was starting to grow nervous- even if his Shadow led the way without any falter or hesitation, there was just..

It was hard to put a word too it.

But _something_ wasn't right about this.

And for some reason the man just couldn't put his finger on just why he felt so odd. The paranoia from before had grown tenfold the farther they went into the unsealed part of the hotel, and with Angel walking behind him, instead of beside him, things were starting to grind his nerves together in a slight panic. 

_But Angel didn't need to notice his discomfort!_

Not when the poor spider was already off his own rocker after the unnatural response to Valentino's presence in the hotel, usually Angel would return to his fake persona and act as if everything was fine. But this Angel was jumpy, far more so than he usually was.

It was weird.

Alastor was a little perturbed that it had taken him so long to catch the actual _fear_ that had soaked the spider from head to toe.

He was usually on top of these types of things-

_Catching people in their worst moments was what Alastor did! It was what he lived for!_

_So why was he losing his groove now?_

Slowing his pace to something more causal and laid back, Alastor allows Angel to catch up before he settled into stride with the taller male. It was time to dive more into this, as it was starting to drive the grinning fiend more mad than he already was.

Despite his still broken gate, due to his leg still being very tender, Alastor managed to keep a steady pace beside the pale spider. A wary brow lifts in Angel's direction, and when it's countered by a trembling look in of itself, Alastor realizes that he needs to take the spider's mind off of what currently occupied the lobby.

_So that was a 'no' to diving in- Got it.. Plan B it is._

"My dear, are you quite sure it was a _human_ you saw back in the kitchen?"

That got the ball rolling. Alastor could tell by the way Angel's breath stopped short.

The spider rolled his eyes at the comment, his tongue clicking as he let his weapons disappear. A mild look of illness crossed his features as he spared a brief glare to the smaller demon, and Alastor couldn't help but broaden his grin seeing such an irritated look aimed at himself,

"I'm not lucid Al, I know what I saw. It was a person! Looked, felt, _smelled_ like a human."

Alastor squinted at that but decided not to question it further, "If so, that's..disconcerting. Why would a human be in Hell?" He mused, "Could it be that the angel's found a way to force them to Hell without death or consent?" "Beats me, Smiles. Kinda weird though- you guys talkin' about moving the masses ta the overworld and then a person suddenly drops inta this scorched shithole."

"Yes. Very odd." Alastor agreed through a thoughtful hum of static. That was when his leg shook a little to much for his liking; habitually, Alastor called for his microphone in order to steady him. His hand spun, urging his microphone to appear in his hand with the flourish, but nothing happened.

" _Not you as well._ " He hissed quietly, a little dismayed when it failed to appear.

_What was going on?! Why weren't his powers working?_

_...Was this because of Lucifer using a hefty percent of his powers?_

_Because if so, Alastor was going to have a few words with that smug basta-_

"Easy Smiles, you're gonna cause wrinkles with how hard you're glarin' at the floor." Angel soothed jokingly, undoubtedly having heard his more upset whisper. "What's going on up there? Ya look pissed off at somethin'.."

Crimson optics pin on Angel's curious expression, and for some reason Alastor couldn't stop himself from spilling, "Nothing is responding properly to my orders. I can barely hear my shadows, and my microphone is not coming to my summoning."

Angel blinked, his curiosity turning to a semblance of awkward sympathy as he offered what he could, "Ah..well.. maybe they just need to recharge? You did make your shadow attack Val, right? Maybe he did something to drain it?" Alastor could've laughed, no way Valentino would've been able to do _anything_ against his shadow, but he humored Angel in his ideas. "I doubt Valentino had a play in this, more likely it was Vox's powers tuning into my own that's messing mine up. That and I suppose Lucifer leeching off of the stronger forces of Hell doesn't help much either."

"Mm, I guess." Angel muttered, looking away, "Just kinda weird that Luci would even need your guy's powers for this little trip ta work. Inn't he like..the strongest being besides, ya know, Archangels and God?"

"Power works in mysterious ways." Alastor grants the other a smaller smile that mirrored his contemplative mood, "I wouldn't be surprised if Lucifer could find a way to overpower all of Heaven, he just needs the right motivation." His claws clasp together at the small of his back, and he straightens his posture as Angel leans closer, "Like how ya basically took down those two angels back in the ballroom by ya'self?"

"I had the right motivation." Alastor answers, before he spared the other a playful squint on his eyes, "Not every day you're offered a fraction of the power the King, and the Princess, of Hell hold."

It was then that something cold settled against his chest, looking forward Alastor noted that the pink eye'd shadow he'd summoned had now stopped at a door on the end of a corridor. A window to his left showed the ongoing sight of Pentagram City as it stretched out from their overlooking view. It seems they've found themselves near the top of the hotel- which was a little odd, Alastor didn't really remember going up so many stairs..

 _Huh_..

_Oh well!_

The shadow looks over it's shoulder gives Alastor a passive blink, as it showed to be far tamer than his feisty, blue eye'd, mimic, before slithering underneath the door and opening it from the other side. The door swings open and Alastor leads the way in with Angel right behind him, "And you're sure this is the room you saw the human in?" The grinning fiend questioned his shade, getting a firm nod as his answer before the dark creature seemed to take pause.

Alastor did not see the furrow in the shadow's face, as he was already moving deeper into the darkened room, but Angel manages to catch it as it looks around the room hesitantly. 

There was a snap.

A noise that made Angel jump.

Before the room was dimly lit by the colored lights sealed into the ceiling.

Angel turned his attention from the pink eye'd shade in order to take in the dimly lit room, not noticing the click of the door being shut. The first thing he noticed was how big the room actually was- at least two of his own put together- it was furnished in an older style, a little classy while also having a cozy feel towards it. The wallpaper was a dark maroon, that was laced with decorative apples, while the dark, mahogany, floors were polished and shined to perfection- Nifty's calling card, obviously, but when had the girl actually been up here to clean this place? It looked recently groomed.

The living room took up the largest portion of the room, a heavy looking leather couch and two black, red laced, loveseats that were leaning towards the coloring of pink, the trimming that surrounded their wooden frames were gold and far more elegant than Angel had ever seen a loveseat be.

_Why the Hell were these not in the lobby instead of the rigid crap he's been subjected to sleep on for the past handful of days?!_

Stepping farther in, nearly at Alastor's side as the smaller male veered more towards the middle of the room- where a large, card inspired, circular, rug laid in the middle of the walkway. The design was a basic black and white, but with each individual circle it would be accompanied by the opposite colored patterns of either Spades, Clovers, Hearts, or Diamonds.

A nice rug, to say the least.

To the right of the rug was the kitchenette, it was small but once again had a interesting charm about it that Angel (and Alastor) just couldn't help but be fond of; a small island bar was parallel to the counters that lined the corner of the room, and bar stools sat tucked neatly into the indention of said island. On the far side of the room, slightly pushed into a cubbyhole, a large bed sat, tucked cozily, yet sang regal songs, as it's dark satin sheets pooled out around it's far darker shaded comforter.

Angel let out a low whistle, noting the way Alastor's ears twitched at the noise as they both moved further into the room, "Nice fuckin' room." Angel observed, "Why the hell was I never told these things existed?"

"You seemed content with your own room." Alastor hummed, not yet taking a step on the rug as he carefully ran his clawed hands over the back of one of the love seats, "Though I can agree, it's a pleasant room." 

The second thing- that came only a few moments of inspecting the walls further, was that there had been very faint scribbles of symbols and and languages that Angel couldn't decipher himself. He had a pretty good idea on who did it, as Alastor was a man of rituals and 'voodoo' type a shit. So it wasn't exactly hard to point fingers. "What is this?" The spider jabbed a thumb to one of the more symbol tainted walls, "You make this place one of ya play pens or somethin'?"

Alastor actually had the gall to look confused as he turned to see where Angel was pointing, but his look of slight surprise kinda made Angel pause, "I can reassure you, my dear, that this isn't any of my doing. I have to admit- even if this room is pleasant- I've never seen it myself, let alone heard of it by Nifty or Charlie."

"Think one of tha old patron's did it?" Angel mused, stepping closer to get a better look.

"It's possible." Alastor offered, calculating eyes settling over the kitchenette as his shadow veered from one corner to the other, shimmering violently as it moved. Angel saw it, saw the missing parts in it's figure, watched it as it shuddered and crawled across the walls- but knowing Alastor's shadow's there was no telling if the thing was just acting up or being playful as it scurried past his long legs.

It retreated to the far corner, the pink eye'd shadow did, and as it did Alastor couldn't help but catch a swift blob of black and brown as it dove into the 'walled' off space that declared itself as a half-bedroom- even if it offered little to no privacy against the rest of the room. Alastor snapped, cutting open his middle finger as his thumb traced the digit to make the small commanding noise, and instantly two tendrils formed up from the ground and lunged for the figure hiding by the bed.

A heavy crash sounded, and then.. _nothing_.

Angel stepped away from the wall he had been inspecting, not finding anything useful-as he couldn't exactly decipher the writings and symbols- but when he heard the crash and saw Alastor standing at attention, glaring darkly at the corner of the room, Angel had all but drawn his two Tommy guns to point towards the person pinned to the wall.

_Thankfully it seemed like he didn't have to waste bullets on a hanging corpse._

"Didja get 'em?" The arachind questioned, rounding the leather couch as one of Alastor's dark shoes crested over the rug in the middle of the walkway. Angel peered around the half wall, seeing a very familiar form pinned to the wall. Short brown hair, lightly colored skin, blue eyes albeit dulled in color as their life slowly seeped from their frame. Alastor's tendrils had all but speared them to the wall, killing them on impact and stopping the human in whatever game they'd come here to play.

Angel would've protested to the killing, seeing as they could've been useful, but part of him said otherwise-

Maybe killing this guy was a good idea. There was no telling how he got here, and there was no guarantee if he remembered how he got in Hell.

_Plus he shot Vaggie, the guy kinda had it coming._

"Nice eye, Smiles." Angel praised, sending a smile to the grinning fiend, magenta eyes bright.

But the near tottering form of Alastor was not what he was expecting to grace his eyes as soon as he laid eyes on the red clad demon. "Uh..Al? You..okay?" A ashen colored hand came up in order to press sharply against Alastor's forehead, right against the 'X' that symbolized his cause of death, and suddenly the tottering male looked deathly pale. Crimson optics were hidden behind dark lids, squeezing tightly shut as a heavy thrum struck Alastor's mind in a sudden migraine.

Angel's brows lowered in caution, his feet moving before he could tell them to stop.

But before he could get even remotely close to Alastor's swaying form, a blue eye'd, smoking, fiend stopped him.

Alastor's mimic, his real shadow, had been trailing the outline of the rug it's master currently stood on. And when it saw Angel's foot get to close, it had to stop the male just in time before he too got trapped as well. "You again?" Angel breathed, shuddering when it's icy hands clasped against his shoulders- as if ordering his body to step back- "Ah- Hey! What the fuck are ya doing?! Can't ya see he's about ta drop?!"

The shadow only bared it's fangs at Angel's words before carefully moving down in order to pick at the corner of the rug. Keeping out of it, itself, the Shade tugged the thick fabric up and gazed at the symbol that had been cleverly hidden underneath the rug.

_A Devil's Trap._

It hissed inwardly at the realization. 

The shade moved enough for Angel to see the mark that had been engraved into the wood by scorch marks, and what also looked to be blood, it's eyes thin slits as the spider gave the symbol a curious once over before his gaze turned to worried. "That thing's effecting Al?" He clarified, glancing at the shadow by his side and nearly sighing when the dark creature nodded firmly.

 _"Fuck, this ain't good._ Okay..Okay! Al, _hey_ \- can you hear me?" 

Static crackled at the question, and Alastor's shoulders seemed to hunch in further- but thankfully the red demon managed a frail nod. Angel felt his worry load lighten just a bit as he glanced around the room, "Alright- don't worry, we'll find a way ta get ya outta that shit box!" He was about to dismiss his weapons, but when a heavy thump sounded back by the bed, two barrels had been lifted back up and aimed towards the comfortable looking mattress as the now _empty_ wall to it's side dripped with blood.

"Okay." Angel started, nerves flooding his body as he rolled his top shoulders, " _That's also not good._ "

He keeps his guns trained on the bed, but his attention flickers to Alastor for just a moment, "Okay, Smiles ya gotta talk ta me- what do I need to do in order ta getcha outta that?" 

Red singed ears press flat against Alastor's head as the man lets out heavy breath, his claws sinking deeply into his palm but not yet hard enough to draw blood. But still, without an answer, Angel has no idea how to even start with freeing the man. Alastor shakes his head, not quite thinking straight, and unfortunately stays quiet. The spider bit his lip, unsure of how he was going to do this- but at least Alastor wasn't double dead..or passed out, _yet_ -

Angel would call that a win.

With mismatched eyes narrowing back towards the bed and Angel feels his heart jump into his throat as a blur of silver rushes towards him.

Angel jerks right, and _narrowly_ dodges the spear that was chucked his way.

"Angel!" Static blows through the room and suddenly Angel is made aware of the _very much not a fucking human_ in the room.

Standing in the middle of the walkway, wearing unnaturally causal clothing. A brown haired person stood with with a thin sword spinning in their right hand. A pair of speck-less, untainted, white wings pulled taut against their well built frame. Blue eyes were narrowed slightly, but the grin that graced their freckled face sang only good tidings.

White clothed shoulders roll loosely, and though the grin did not let up, Angel could see their disappointment from the missed shot, " _Oh how, troublesome. My aim has seen better days I'm afraid."_ The angel laughs softly, a fondness doting their finely tuned voice as they brought their sword up to point it at Angel, _"My apologies my lengthy fellow! But I do believe that getting my paws dirty would be your best bet for a painless death, don't you agree?"_

Alastor's ears shoot up and he frantically digs his claws against his shirt, tearing the fabric and scoring his claws down the length of his own arm. But when his claws fail to break skin, the red demon's static screams in a rage filled roar. Desperately Alastor tells his taller companion to leave the room in order to get help.

But Angel stays as still as ever, as calm as ever, even if inwardly his body was _screaming_ at him to run away- there was no way he'd make it out fast enough to call for help- and there was no fucking way he was going to leave Alastor to fend for himself when Angel was capable of distracting this bastard long enough for the other to escape.

But it was still _really fucking scary_ to see such a being intent on killing lunge his way.

The angel's sword swung over their head and in the moment, as it barreled towards the taller male, Angel could faintly see Alastor baring down on the symbol fighting viciously against the invisible force that held him inside; but something tethered Angel to spot- even as that deadly sword came crashing down.

Barely flinching- which surprised Angel even more than it shocked Alastor- Angel forces one of his rifles up in order to stop the thing before it hit fur.

The angel took pause, hesitating for just a moment as it gawked at the lack of fear that Angel's face held. A pale head tilted curiously at the sudden braveness, but as Angel shifted ever so slightly to aim his other Thompson rifle at his attacker's torso, the winged being was soon shrieking as half a clip of holy bullets sank deeply into their chest and stomach.

Their body convulsed violently before they disappeared into thin air.

And Angel very nearly passed out, or he nearly puked..

_..Let's face it if the situation wasn't so dire, he probably would've done both._

Swallowing down his bile, Angel gave Alastor a frightened look that spoke heavy horrors; and the look Angel got back was one of pure relief. The red demon lets himself relax as the taller male stumbles closer, giving him a brief once over for any wounds before Alastor warily speaks up, "I can get out of this, I just need to create a wound in order to gather enough power to do so-" He gets cut off by his own static, but Angel gets the gist of the idea. 

Angel watches as Alastor stabs his thumb into his palm

He watches as part of Alastor's claw chips off instead of his skin ripping open.

He also watches as Alastor's well tempered facade began to crack under his frustration.

The red clad demon turn, one hand pushing against the boiling hot force that kept him bonded, his hand sizzled with pain- nearly to the point of blistering- before the male finally retracted his hand and gazed at Angel's recovering form. The static that surrounded the Radio Demon was nearing a pain inducing roar, but no matter how much Alastor ordered the white noise to dial down, it was useless!

Eyes nearly glowing with tampered rage, Alastor releases a heavy breath. His body shakes for a moment before that damned left leg of his crumples under the stress; in a near heap Alastor drops to one knee and his static _snarls._

" _Angel_ , you need to find me a knife or _something_ sharp so I can get out-" Alastor's voices is nearing the line of shaking as his leg begins to burn like hellfire, "-my claws obviously aren't working. I think the angel blessed the trap with some sort of prayer that stops me from harming myself." Crimson eyes follow the tall spider as he steadies himself on shaking legs, trailing him as he snoops around the kitchenette in search for a knife.

He surprisingly finds nothing useful there, and instead heads for a messy desk that took up the other half of the back room. 

Angel pawed through the scattered papers, eyes narrowed as he faintly realized that they looked like they had been torn from a book. He barely registered the pages that held the instructions on making the types of symbols that adorned the walls, but kept what little information he absorbed stored for the time being. It wasn't until his hand brushed over some type of steel that he noticed the static from before had squealed into a higher pitch.

There was a itch along his neck, and before he could turn, Alastor's voice broke through the static alarmed,

_"Get down!"_

Alastor watched as Angel's body ducked down, dodging yet another killing blow as the angel from before reappeared, no longer injured even though it's clothing was shredded, they swung their favored sword from left to right; and the blade crashes against the wall as they failed, yet again, to stop the spider. 

_Quite the incompetent fellow, huh?_

Angel Dust had stumbled away from the desk, pulling his guns up to fire off more stunning rounds of glowing blue bullets, but before his triggers could be pulled a sharp wing had snapped out and slammed against his front. Alastor winced for the male as he was sent flying into one of the loveseats, breaking it on impact while shrapnel from the broken furniture sunk into his flesh. His rifles went different directions, their owner having lost his grip on them before he landed painfully.

Alastor's shadow, though weakened itself by Alastor's trapped state, trembled violently as it saw Angel struggling to get up. With a desperate look to it's master, all it needed was one confirming nod from the red head before it lunged at the angel in order to keep it off the spider's recovering self. The shade phases straight through the angel, startling them with it's frigid aura before reforming behind them and coiling tightly around their neck and wings to disable them. It bares a black snarl as it's claws sink fruitlessly into the angel's eyes, it barely made a dent in the angelic being's body, but keeping them occupied was working well enough as the angel thrashed violently against the shade's natural restraints.

"Aw fuck.." Angel groans, blinking furiously before straining his body to get up, he could feel the wood and metal from the loveseat's trimming inside of his back and arms, but getting this damn letter opener to Alastor was seriously more important than a couple of stupid splinters. The panting male achingly stumbles his way over, stopping a few inches short of the rug before tossing the blade inside.

"This shit betta work.." He grunts, sparing a wary glance over as Alastor's shadow began to engulf the angel.

Alastor quickly snatches the letter opener up, still kneeled as his leg just refused to move at this point, twisting it in his grip before plunging the blade into his leg.

_It all but bends at contact._

_Like rubber, in sinks in on itself and stays that, even as Alastor destroys the handle in his tightened grip._

Before Alastor can even curse the thing, Angel has the words out before him,

_"Ya gotta be **fuckin** ' kidding me!"_

Static screeches in rage and it takes everything in Angel to not cover his ears, even as a sickening snap echoes through the wailing white noise. Both men look over as Alastor's shadow successfully managed to break one of the joints in the angel's wings, and in brief moment of pain the angel stops struggling just long enough for the shade to nearly engulf them entirely with it's pitch black embrace. It coils and tightens, just as it did on the angel once known as Aziraphale, squeezing the holy life beneath it like a python would a frail body, and it looks to work as the angel's legs buckled and they crumpled to the ground with an aching cry.

_Though the moment of faint victory is lost when the angel is overcome by an overwhelming ray of haunting blue light._

Alastor could feel part of himself disappearing as his shadow is destroyed by this light, and as his unbeating heart takes in the loss with heavy mournful intentions- despite his mind's best abilities to stay here in the moment- Alastor barely registers the angel lunging forward in order to wrestle Angel to the floor. 

Angel cries out as the shrapnel in his back sinks farther into his skin, though try as he might, he does get a hefty punch to the angel's cheek before he's left motionless under the strong hand clasped around his neck. Angel realizes here and now, that there was no way he'd be slipping outta this situation.

The room went quiet, the crackle of static near to nothing as Alastor inwardly tried to process the loss of his mimic.

But even as grim as the situation was the angel that straddled Angel could only chuckle breathlessly and shake their head.

 _"That! Was quite the fight you put up, dear fellow!"_ They praised, genuinely impressed by the fact a middle class demon could keep up with them, _"Though, this will be your last day of existence, I- as a being of upmost respect for my_ _opponents, must say that you both did very well with this! Quite a decent run if I say so myself!"_ There was no malice in the brunette's voice as they spoke, and their eyes held no ill emotions to Angel- even as the arachnid glared darkly back up at them.

Petty, huh?

Demons' thinking that they were morally better than beings that were created with everything that was good in them.

Even sincere congratulating felt like a fucking taunt.

 _"It pains me to do this, honestly it does. But you two are far more trouble than we first anticipated- well mostly that one over there as he was the one to realize that tainted grace could be used to force angels out of Hell,"_ The being gestured to Alastor's shaking form, a semblance of pity crossing their face, _"and Archangel Michael was not pleased when they found that out the hard way, let me tell you.._ _But it's also thanks to this one, and the others ones in this hotel currently, that us angel's have found a new way to rid Hell of your insolent kind!"_ The angel chirped, suddenly pleased with themselves as they saw Alastor turn his head slightly to listen, 

_"It won't take long for your kind to reach the overworld, now that you've played into that little tune, and once you get up there you'll practically destroy yourselves, with the overuse of your powers, trying to stay alive! The Archangel thought it would be best, if we did things that way, you see? So us angels won't have to dirty our hands anymore, and we can finally start over with a clean slate!"_

Blue eyes lock fondly with the crimson ones of Alastor, and the angel smiles widely when seeing no trace of the man's previous grin on his face. It reveled at the expression, pleasantly watching as the gears in Alastor's head struggled to grind together, but eventually he managed to get out his question,

"How do you know of Lucifer's plans to move Hell to the overworld..?"

A genuinely amused expression takes the angel's face, their eyes blinking in near disbelief- a movement that jaunted the glowing blue that shone from their eyes- while a gentle, finely tuned laugh sang from their mouth,

_"My friend-"_ They chuckled, and it sounded like Heaven even if the words behind it roared with Hell, _"What makes you think that was Lucifer's idea?"_

The room goes quiet once more, and this time Alastor's static was not there to fill in the silence.

Only the bubbling chuckles that flowed out of the angel's mouth as they watched the red demon's expression rise in surprise. The body underneath them squirmed slightly, and the angel could feel the spider demon inhale sharply as they dug their knees into his sides, a slight warning for moving to much- even if they barely cared.

_This was rich!_

_Did these fiends really think that they actually had control?_

There was a metal click from underneath them that had been drowned out by the angel's sharp inhale; a overtly fond look taking their smiling face as they looked down at Angel's wide eye'd expression. They could swear they saw tears lingering in the spider's eyes, and it hurt them to see such a thing on such a miserable being. 

With a tender touch the angel reaches down with their free hand in order to drag their thumb delicately under Angel's eyes, it got a concoction of emotions that flowed freely from the spider- disgust, fear, anger, confusion- but all the angel saw was the fear, that was all it needed to see. A soft hum left the brunette as they shook their head, _"No need for that, my dear. There was nothing that you could do to stop this. It is God's plan after all!"_

Angel leaned out of the touch, taking another breath as his hand wrapped around his last ditch effort, "Nah," He agreed, "Yous right, there isn't anything _I_ could do to stop you winged assholes, and ya know what I'm cool with that!" A sharp grin took his face, his golden tooth gleaming under the angel's glowing blue stare.

"But, I bet _he_ could do something."

A loud gunshot pounded effortlessly out of the pistol Angel finally managed to manifest into his freed hand, using his neat 'hidden pair of arms' trick.

And the bullet his right on it's intended target!

_Yup_! 

_Sloppily sinking into the side of a **very** pissed off Radio Demon._

"First rule of war, babe," Angel winked up at the stock still being that was still positioned over him, horror churning into their flawless face as blood soaked through the red demon's shirt, "ya kill the guy with the most blood on his hands first."

Hot flames licked the edges of the Devil's Trap before the entire thing became a scorch mark in the floor, radio static rumbled at a low volume, like that of a dark chuckle. The angel's wings snapped open, and in it attempts to get away, it had forgotten the unfortunate state of it's wings having been broken by the grinning bastard's shadow.

_A snap resounded._

_And the screams of an angel echoed throughout the room._

By the time the wails of the holy being had ceased, Angel had finally managed to at least push himself up on one arm. He let out a ragged breath, and stared at the back of Alastor's shaking frame as the Radio Demon leaned heavily against the leather couch. Soaked head to toe in the blood and viscera of the angel he just slaughtered, Angel couldn't help but wince when his eyes trailed over the gunshot wound that he'd given Alastor.

No doubt that was hurting like an absolute bitch right now.. _Charlie wasn't going to like that.._

Angel fixed his lip between his teeth as he sat further up, pain seizing his back as the shrapnel from the love seat had finally dug in properly, no thanks to that fucking angel sitting on top of him.

With a tentative hand, the pale male carefully ran his palm over his back- nearly getting groaning when he heard his shirt squelch as blood stuck it to his fur like glue. He settled with a dissatisfied huff as he carefully prodding the things protruding from his back-

_Just great, now Charlie's gonna get on my ass about two things now.._

A sense of fond calmness befalls the spider, and he actually blinks in confusion as it settles over his body like a natural cover. He hadn't felt this normal in days, why the hell did it suddenly get peaceful?! The weight in his chest was gone, and if it were actually possible Angel would yell that he was starting to feel alive again.

But to Alastor the overwhelming feeling of eyes looming overhead had all but dispersed, no longer did that heavy sense of paranoia cloud his thoughts; all that remained was the loss of his beloved mimic and the underwhelming panic of his own thoughts becoming true.

_Lucifer couldn't possibly be doing this to destroy Hell right?_

No..there _had_ to be more to this..

But this angel..

Alastor's gaze flitted to the ripped open corpse laid out on the room's pretty hardwoods, his static crackling with his thoughts, _This angel must've been to blame for such an overwhelming spike in our emotions, it's presence had to of amplified our strongest feelings._ It would explain everything, his own paranoia, Angel's fear, Charlie's meltdowns, Nifty's unease, Vaggie's sudden over affection- Husk was really the only one that acted somewhat normal, and even he was starting to get snippy!

A gentle groan from behind him stirred Alastor out of his brooding, ears flicking up, the red male suddenly realized the pain in his left side- not from that of his leg, but from his torso. He muffled a grunt, but couldn't hold back a twitch of pain as he eased his hand to press against the blood soaked wound. Shakily turning around, Alastor's eyes met Angel's, just as the spider moved to properly sit up.

Funnily enough Angel was the one to look like a deer in the headlights when Alastor fixes him with a tired stare, he holds up his top set arms, blinking wildly as the red demon takes a careful handful of steps towards his downed form. "Now, Al- I'm..I-I didn't mean ta shootcha, but I couldn't think of anythin' else, I'm sorr-"

He paused, staring at the ashen hand that had been offered to aid him.

"Are you alright, my dear?"

A sense of déjà vu hit the spider, just as much as his exasperation did for the selfless act, but he took the hand before it could retract and let Alastor help him to his feet "Am _I_ alright? Smiles! All that happened to me was I got tossed across the room- That piece a'shit killed your shadow thing and- and- _I shot you with a fucking holy gun._ "

"And in any other circumstances I would've broken your jaw." Alastor admits, his grin falling into something genuine, squeezing the palm he still held in his own- a little surprised that the touch wasn't making his skin crawl, "But you saved us both by doing that- so I'd say that no hard feelings are due this time."

_"So! Thank you, Angel Dust. I do believe I owe you one."_

Alastor's words were backed up with a loose smile, something more genuine even if his body was taut with what pain that lingered in his side. Crimson optics half lidded the red demon watched as his taller counterpart seemed to take pause at the expression he currently held. Alastor barely stopped himself from lifting a curious brow as Angel's face dropped into something so overtly besotted. 

How curious..and _useful_..

 _Oh that look was never good_ , Angel had all but slipped off the top floor and crashed down the metaphorical stair case after Alastor. _He didn't like that look, never liked **that** fucking look-_ but..to see _Alastor_ of all people with that look of absolute appreciation that mixed with a fondness Angel just couldn't describe. A look that seemed so natural, and genuine, even if deep down the poor spider just knew it was too be to good to be true.

_This guy was going to be the inevitable death of him._

_Looks like Angel will just have to step up to his level then-_

With an easy smile, the tall male sent a wink towards Alastor, breaking through his own stupor and forcing Alastor's smile to stretch further upwards in what Angel could only assume as amusement, "Don't sweat it, Smiles- call us even." His breath is still a little taken away, but he manages to get through the sentence before his voice breaks entirely. 

Alastor shakes his head, but makes no further comment as he releases Angel's hand and heads for the door, "Then by all means, my good fellow, let's go see if we can get some answers to some rather pesky questions that angel has brought to our attention, shall we?"

* * *

Charlie wasn't what had come over her as she finally reeled back into the moment. Her body was aching, and her brain hurt, _and_ her face was absolutely soaked with her own tears. But _why was she like that?_

She remembers Angel telling her of a human in the hotel.

She remembers being scared when she was told Vaggie had been shot.

She remembers Vaggie telling her that everything was okay, but she had already broken down completely by the time she saw the blood.

But everything was fine. Why was she..acting so..weird?

She inhale's deeply, moving her head up from her girlfriend's shoulder as Vaggie all but cradled her against her chest. The grey haired girl seemed a little out of sorts, but her gaze was swelling with affection as soon as Charlie met her gaze.

Now Charlie really wanted to ask questions, she really wanted to know if she'd gotten herself into another tainted batch of brownies that Angel had hidden inside the hotel's refrigerator again- even if she felt none of the after effects that she felt the first time she's run into that problem- But something told Charlie that this had just been a overwhelming moment, a time where her emotions just couldn't lock onto something logical anymore- and it seemed everything had gone downhill for her.

It was strange, but Charlie managed to dismiss it as she planted a soft, apologetic, kiss to her girlfriend's cheek.

"Right-" Charlie nearly winced when her voice croaked out weakly. Clearing her throat, she tried once more, "Okay, sorry about that- I just..yeah..anyways! Uhm, I'm assuming you've heard the brunt of all of this because of Al?" 

Her audience of three all nodded, looking far more content than they had been five minutes before-hand, "Okay, well, we'll talk more about it when the other's leave, but right now I think we've got a more serious problem- Vaggie was what Angel said true? Did a human shoot you?"

A single pale eye narrow hesitantly, before Vaggie gives Husk and Nifty a look, "I'm not sure what shot me, but I doubt it was a human." She looks wary as the blonde before her frowns slightly, "But Angel nearly had a meltdown outside! He said that a human was behind this mess!" The pale hand pointing towards the large blood spot on Vaggie's side was pushed down as said girl shrugs,

"Hun, I thought it was just a stupid demon that decided to pick on the wrong people." Vaggie offers, "I don't think any of us besides Angel actually got a good look at the guy."

Charlie's brows furrow, but she drops the subject for now as she watches Husk turn back towards the door in order to crack it open, his amber gaze scanning the occupants outside before his ears flicker back against his head.

Charlie finds that she can't help but question him at his shift in body language, "Is something happening? Are the other Overlords starting to act up-" Her breath sudden shifts inwardly as she gasps in realization, "Oh _shit!_ I left them both out there _alone_! Is Valentino trying to do something to Angel!? Is Alastor about to start a fight?!"

"What?" Husk pulled his head away to fix the girl with a look, "No. I already asked you before where they were- those two dumbasses aren't even in the lobby with the other Overlords and the King." 

"Wait they're not even out there?!"

_"'S'literally what I just fucking said."_

"Husk!" Vaggie barked, glaring hotly at the tom as he raised his paws in mock surrender.

"Oh-" Charlie groaned, rubbing her face, "What is happening today?!" She demands loudly, before taking a heavy breath and moving back towards the doorway, "I'll just have to make up something to stop them from wondering, I'll be right back-" "You sure you don't want us out there for back up?" Vaggie offers, but stops short when Charlie shakes her head, "No. I don't need them to ask more questions or get more sidetracked than we already are- I just really want them to leave right now so we can get a hold of everything that's happening."

The blonde pushed through the door, plastering on one of her patented smiles and made a noncommittal noise to gain the attention of her father and the Overlords as they awkwardly stood in the middle of the room.

"Sorry about rushing out! I forgot about something, and needed to go to the back in order to fix it!" She laughed weakly as Lucifer fixed his piercing stare on her whittled form. The King of Hell carefully brushes off the sleeves of his white button up, a thin brow rising as the eldest demon smiled at his daughter, "Oh it's quite fine, Charlotte, I'm just a little taken aback that Alastor left so quickly without any form of explanations!"

Okay. Charlie could work with that!

"Oh- Him and Angel? Yeah," She smiled, feigning a look that screamed control over a already disastrous situation, "They just went to go check something out, Angel thought he saw something and Alastor is usually the one he asks to help him investigate! It's pretty normal for them to go off like that!"

_Okay Charlie don't overdue it.._

Lucifer squinted, "Are they..-" "Together?" Charlie supplies, before laughing at such a thought, "Aha.. _No_ , Dad. Those two would _never_ be together like that- trust me I've tried!- No- no, they're just friends." She remembers the friend dates she used to send them on during the starting months of their run at the hotel- how Angel would come back absolutely frightened while Alastor looked extremely uncomfortable.

But in the end the friend dates did work!

I mean. They were friends after all.

"Well that's a relief!" Valentino comments, his red stained grin strained as he leaned back, amusement showing even if there were traces of malice hidden inside he smooth voice, "And here I was thinkin' that doe was running off with my star actor!" He shares an awfully friendly look with Lucifer before the two chuckle.

The lobby is then pulled into another awkward silence, and suddenly Charlie has a loss for words.

But thankfully Vox manages to steer them back on track, "Sx-Sz- So, Your Highness." Red eyes linger on Lucifer's grinning form as the eldest demon turns to gaze curious at the TV headed man, "Was there ax-az- anything else you wanted to discuss or was that all? Cause I still got sz-sx-shit to do."

Lucifer shakes his head, "That was most of it, I just needed you all to know what you were required to give before I send you all up to the overworld. For now you're dismissed- I'll call upon you if I need something else."

"Sounds great!" Velvet grins, already back to her peppy self as she leaps up and swings her arm around Vox's neck in order to drag him down to her level, "C'mon Voxxy! Let's go see what your dumbass crew has fucked up this time!" She cheers, ignoring the buzz of annoyance that hummed off the electronic demon as she drags him out of the hotel doors.

Valentino however, stays where he's standing, and Lucifer gifts him with another faux expression, "Not leaving with them?" 

The roach stretches out, shaking his head as he turns to stride over towards the lobby's sitting area, his attention seemed to be elsewhere but there was no pinpointing the exact location, "Nah, I've got some unfinished business with Angie before I leave- kinda wanna discuss the matter of his contract." He admits causally, plopping down on one of the arm chairs and looking back to see Charlie's expression lighten with glee.

"Y-You mean you might consider handing his contract over?" She smiles, not missing the way Valentino's eyes flicker to something behind her before they settle back on her own, "Maybe, doll. Maybe. M'still thinkin' it over, but I think my mind was made up a long while ago."

Charlie claps her hands together once and looks over to her father, her smile blowing so wide it nearly put Alastor's to shame.

All the while, she had been unaware of two figures descending down the stairs looking absolutely worse for wear. Alastor's grin was tampered and wavering, his gate finally breaking into a tender limp as Angel stayed glued to his side for some semblance of balance for the other man.

Stairs were surprisingly hard to go down when your leg refused to cooperate.

The two looked up when Charlie's excited squeal graced their ears, and Angel couldn't help but smile when he saw the genuine happiness that bared on the girl's face. 

However Alastor felt his static buzz with a muted warning when he saw the blonde girl standing so close to the supposed King of Hell.

His mouth opened to speak a warning, but he stopped short seeing Lucifer's gaze flit over towards both his and Angel's tattered forms, a glint of shock crosses his dark gaze before his pupils shift into fine slits. The smaller man sudden jolts back, a displeased noise breaking past his mouth as his foot stomped on the ground in a flawless act before he snapped his fingers once to further his game.

"Ah! I nearly forgot, I was supposed to pick something up for your mother!-"

Charlie turned away from her brief conversation with Valentino in order to watch her father curiously, and it was then, as red swarmed his vision, that Alastor registered two things.

One, Angel and himself were no longer in the hotel.

And two, it was snowing.

_Oh that bastard.._


	15. Welp..This Sucks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unreliable author takes a week to start on new chapter- She is the disappointed in herself.

Rage.

All that was left inside of him was rage.

But due to certain circumstances, that rage couldn't be freed.

So exhaustion took it's place.

A shameful desire to just lay down and give up. Limbs ached, wounds burned, his body felt frozen and in pain- the snow was not helping the situation, but at this point Alastor couldn't care less. He's been played at his own game of deception, misdirection was his talent- and it had been used against him to insure his downfall.. _By Lucifer of all people._ A trust, it usually took people years to gain, had been broken and Alastor wasn't happy that he'd been double crossed.

Angels and Demons working together? What _bullshit_.

Alastor was angry, he was mourning the loss of his beloved mimic, _his body hurt_ , and his brain felt like it was kicking into overdrive; all of it was filtering in to one undeniable fact that even he could not help but succumb to at times like such.

_He was tired._

_Alastor, The Radio Demon, one of the strongest beings in Hell, was tired._

_The sheer amount of information that clogged his already exhausted brain, his pain ridden and muddled mind, it was far too much to process in such little time- especially after being dumped out into-..Wherever this place was!_

Now here he sat, buried to the hips in deep snow. Both he and Angel had been spat out by a wave of heat and red, it left a lingering burn in his nose that would put the metallic stench of blood to shame- it was disgusting- Alastor dismissed it as brimstone after a moment of painful thinking. His lungs felt as if he just inhaled a hefty cloud of smoke, and now it was weighing heavily inside of his being. 

Alastor could only inhale deeply to keep his mind from shattering, a shaky move that rattled, jarring the heaviness in his chest, and rasped in his throat as he exhaled-

_Wait, what?-_

_Was he breathing- like, really breathing?!_

Black singed ears perk at the realization, and he takes another breath, and _revels_ at the fact that _actual air_ was gracing his spoiled insides-

Sinners didn't _technically_ need to breathe; but as a conscious, habitual, thing that their brains do- breathing only came naturally. Not to mention, there was no air in Hell- only thick smog that filled your lungs in a pathetic attempt to fill that empty void.

But there was _fresh_ air here.

Not only that but coyote-song rang throughout his ears as the scavenging, little, devils found their next meal with pleasing squeals and breaking howls. High pitch wailing that brought back a nostalgic fondness to Alastor's muted ears, a feeling that neither made it properly into the man's mind, nor went past it, --he was aware of it, just couldn't appreciate it in this moment as everything his brain was trying to process was all to much for it to handle in one go.

The woods were pitch black; darkened by night skies that were striped with tampered, gray, clouds; a silver, full, moon hovered over the world and graced it with it's argent, ominous, light.

There were even _stars,_ doting that very sky in a gorgeous display only the cold weather could gift two sinners.

If Alastor hadn't already been so far gone into his minds insistent tugging for collapse he, undoubtedly, would've gotten lost in a trance just staring at the actual _life_ that suddenly surrounded his being. But unfortunately, now becoming a common occurrence, things just weren't going his way. He was unnaturally quiet as the cold wind whistles past his ears, even his static had taken to a barely noticeable hum. 

Angel however, was a different story.

The white spider had all but shot to his feet, about as graceful as a freshly born fawn taking to it's feet; his legs buckled at his knees- and he would've hit the ground had it not been for his top pair of arms latching onto a close by tree. A strangled, anger induced, yell broke out of him as he slammed his ungloved hand against the rough bark.

" _Son of a bitch!"_

The shrill cry was enough to stop the coyote song that had busy filling the tense silence.

"He did not just do that-!" Angel heaved a rough breath, mismatched eyes blowing wide when he felt proper air enter his lungs; a moment passed, and the pale man _looked_ like he had all the awareness in the world.

"He _did not_ just send us to the overworld!"

_Ah, so he's realized it too._

"That bastard, that _liar!_ Next time I see his stupid grinnin' face Imma shove my boot _so far_ up his scrawny ass he'll be coughin' up flecks of leatha! Why the fuck did he send us topside?!" The spider demon whirled around, mismatched eyes glowing with justified rage, as he then zones in on Alastor's form; Angel, unfortunately, barely takes notice of the way Alastor body seemed to hunch in on itself.

Crunching steps sounded off the red man's right, Angel's boots making the snow protest as he stepped heavily towards the subdued, grinning, fiend. "Al, c'mon, there's gotta be a way for us ta get outta this right? There's gotta be a way to get us back down there!" Angel stepped carelessly into the puddle of blood, uncaring if it stained or not, as he kneeled beside Alastor's form. "The othas don't know what's goin' on, Charlie don't know what her father's doin', _none of 'em know we're down here_!"

" _This_ can't be the end of everything we've worked for," Angel pressed, something constricting his chest tightly at the lack of reaction from the red male, " _C'mon_ , Smiles ya gotta give me somethin'..- _You_ , outta all the people I know, are the most capable of finding a way ta get us back inta Hell- we just gotta think!"

A quiet blink, barely an acknowledgement, was his response.

Alastor did not look like he wanted to have this conversation right now..

_No.._

_Alastor didn't even look like he wanted to be 'alive' right now._

_He looked so fucking done with everything in life right now that even the smile on his face was starting to look like it wasn't one of Alastor's._

Movement made Angel's heart leap, a eager joy leaking straight through his person, as Alastor lifted his right hand in order to press it tenderly to his forehead. A heavy breath expelled from his nose, flurrying out, like a tunneling cloud, before hazing off in different directions around his face. Glowing optics shut tiredly, and it was then did Angel _really_ take in the expression. 

Two eyes- shut, but there-, a pointed nose, a tight lipped smile, red and black hair, two ears on top of his head at attention- as they always were.

But something was different.

There were bags under those eyes- something only the cruel nature of pure exhaustion, and overexertion, could do; that tight lipped smile was barely restraining the snarl of a yellow maw behind them- something internally was pissing Alastor off, a stray thought? Or maybe several? Perhaps every single thought possible?- His hair was unkept, frazzled by both the break from the Devil's Trap and the fall into the overworld- and his ears, they were twitching like crazy- like they couldn't focus on a single thing.

Angel felt his shoulders slump, a movement that jarred the shrapnel in his back. 

_This wasn't right- **nothing** about this image was correct! Ain't no way any of this could be even possibly correct-_

This man, _was not Alastor._

This man sitting in front of Angel was definitely not the Alastor he knew.

 _This man_ screamed loss; he screamed defeat, he looked exhausted, no longer seemed like he knew every little thing the world had to offer. He didn't look vicious, or bloodthirsty, or eager for a massacre.

This man was not the Radio Demon.

Outraged, Angel seized him by the shoulders with his top set of arms. 

Appalled, Angel grabbed his suit lapels with his bottom set.

He didn't care if he wounded the other more, even if static hissed as more blood soaked his shirt; _how dare Alastor suddenly feel this way?!_

Angel bristles, baring glinting fangs as visible static garbled those crimson optics, his anger taking an sudden hard left as it crashed violently with Alastor's sobriety. That shocked him out of it at least, _as usually Alastor would've thrown his ass to Timbuktu by now._ But Alastor just fucking took it!

Angel recoiled slightly, keeping his hands attached, his fangs retracted and he quickly discarded his previous hostilities to better see the situation, "What's going on with ya, Smiles? Didja break something back there? Why the hell are ya just.. _sittin' there lettin' me grab at ya?!_ "

Black singed ears twitch towards Angel, and Alastor's voice sounds near to muted as he addresses the problem- with the blandest of tones, mind you. "I'm not entirely sure what you want me to do, Angel; we don't have many choices-"

 _"I wantcha ta fuckin' react!"_ Angel's grips remained ironclad, only focused on the first part of his sentence, "Ya not doin' anything- usually you'd be- _I dunno_? Talkin' or somethin'!"

A touch of offense sauntered it's way into Alastor's eyes, fishing a slight narrow out of his pupils as he brushed Angel's paws off his person; there was a sigh that wavered out of his mouth- rigid with white noise- before he inhaled that addicting feeling of cold, fresh, air. The elder demon mulled over his response, giving it quite the thought before they began to bundle together painfully again, "The likelihood of us getting back in this state is highly improbable." Alastor mumbled, undertones of static growling in his voice, "And even so, getting back to Hell without a higher power's help is just lunacy..We can't go back to Hell like this because we didn't switch to our living bodies- our souls can't return there without our current bodies there to take us back." 

"But there's a chance! _There has to be a chance, Al._ We can't just leave the others to suffer there while Lucifer goes batshit crazy! What if he's been playin' us the entire time, what if this is what he wants? That angel said so themselves- the Archangel has been up to plottin' and somehow Luci's been listenin'.." The spider insists, rolling his shoulder only to wince as he felt the shrapnel from before shift inside his flesh.

"I have my doubts." Alastor admitted, "Something isn't right in this situation, there has to be a bigger picture that we can't see right now. Lucifer wouldn't just do that- he's far to stubborn.." Red eyes flit over the spider's body, noting the blood that had started to leak through against his sides. He'd nearly forgotten that Angel had been injured as well..

Alastor released yet another heavy breath, strain evident as he shook his head.

_One thing at a time._

"We need to get out of this snow and work on healing before we even start on figuring out the rest." 

Angel looked ready to protest, but the thought of rest seemed heavenly right now- _Even if he felt extremely energetic right now, the spider knew that rest would help him a dozen times over._

_But still, having energy at a time like this.._

_..Must be the adrenaline._

Angel eventually gave in and hefted himself onto soaked boots. Having a much easier time the second time around as he offered a hand for Alastor to grab ahold to, which was politely declined. Even if Alastor had to take more time to get to his feet..

He knew that if he tried to stand in one go, that it would not go very well, he'd most likely damage himself and his pride more. Thankfully, Angel was there with a steadying hand- that never had to touch him-- ready to help the other man just in case his body failed to keep him upright.

Alastor gave the woods surrounding them a thoughtful stare, inspecting the shadow infested woodlands with little care-- even if the returning coyote-song wailed into his ears again, sending unsettling shivers down his spine-- Angel crosses his top set of arms, eyes watching Alastor closely as the smaller male grabbed his lower right arm (thankfully it was uninjured) before he led the other through the thickets.

* * *

Back in the hotel's kitchen, Husk was watching quietly as Charlie conversed with her father while hiding behind the cracked kitchen door. It had been barely three minutes and the sudden change in character was far to noticeable for Husk's taste. His large brows had furrowed at the odd cut in conversation- and the fact that _Lucifer_ of all people stomped his foot like a fucking child was beyond Husk's capabilities to process things without diving to deep. 

So he settled with just a judgmental stare that, thankfully, went unnoticed.

Husk knew that Lucifer could be eccentric, as Alastor has told him many stories of the man's territory and his unnatural balance that swung from full on scary as hell to being as docile as a fucking kitten.

And you know, Husk _could_ compare Lucifer to Alastor in some ways, but this was a different type of chaotic.

Lucifer literally just went from irritated, to chirpy, to chummy with _Valentino_ of people, to shocked, and then to careless in a span of like thirty seconds. And no one else seemed to notice- or if they did they didn't give a shit.

But then again, why the hell should Husk care? Everyone was weird in Hell, some more than others. But would that really stop Husk from watching the King of Hell like a hawk? 

_No_ , no, it would not.

His presence was usually deemed unworthy, so the threat being caught by Lucifer wasn't that bad- no one really gave him a second glance- thank the fucking booze. Not to mention, Husk's usual bad feelings were almost always on point- which led to his mistake with making a deal with Alastor; but we'll blame that on being sober-, so whatever _thing_ that was causing this _feeling_ it was gonna be watched until that twist in his gut left him alone.

_However, Husk's 'conviction' did not stop the sudden throb that hit his chest like a speeding car._

Nothing outside of the slight wince was given, but the constriction that befell his body was _really_ fucking weird. _Was he having a heart attack? He didn't even have a real heart! Did sinners even have those? ...Was that even how pseud-heart attacks worked?_

Husk patted his chest with an awkwardly closed fist, warding the feeling off with a dismissive wack.

_It was probably nothing._

Of course that didn't stop his amber gaze from trailing towards Nifty's oddly still form - _call it force of habit since they were technically connected to Alastor cause of their deals, and there were rare occasions where certain pain was shared_ -, the smaller demon had been furiously scrubbing the floors to rid them of blood, it seemed that whatever hit Husk had hit her as well.

Vaggie also noticed her halt the vicious scrubbing, and had questioned her odd behavior. "Nifty?" The moth demon opted, single eye narrowed cautiously, "Did you finally blow a fuse?"

The tiny redhead shook her head, a unnatural frown taking her maniacal grin's place, before she looked to Husk curiously, "Did..Did _you_ feel that too?" Her question came out with a uneasy shake that put Husk on edge and made _his_ heart rate quicken.

_Wait.. His heart?_

Husk narrowed his eyes before lifting a paw and planting it on the left side of his torso, right where his _missing/fake_ heart should be-- part of Alastor's deals, was that he took the other party's heart as payment and kept them tucked away until he needed a boost of power--

 _However_ , it seemed his deal with Husk had been severed somehow, as a subtle thump underneath his paw was Husk's response.

Black ears falter slightly before flattening entirely. "That's not right, I shouldn't have a-" Disbelief crossed his face as Nifty tested her own heart's presence. 

A pain simmered in Husk's being as the younger demon's eye welled up with tears.

_That can't be right-.._

_No fucking way **he** , Alastor, the fucking Radio Demon, was dead!_

* * *

Angel wasn’t sure how long it had been as Alastor pulled him through the woods, but it had to of been at least two hours before they finally reached the edge of the woods. He had half a mind to protest to the grip tugging insistently on his arm every time he slowed down--even if he was doing that for Alastor’s sake, cause whenever the guy tottered on that left leg it looked painful-- but at this point, if Alastor has energy, it was probably best to just let him do what he wants and be there when he eventually crashes.

The walk was quiet to a point. Every once in a while Alastor would pause, mumble to himself, those big ass ears of his would twitch frantically, before he started leading again while promptly ignoring Angel’s worried comments on his sanity.

Turns out, asking a drained Overlord if they were okay was almost always answered with a steel bolted stare that got no one anywhere.

Angel knew Alastor could be an asshole, but a tired Alastor was just terrible.

Thankfully though, they had a breakthrough!

_ Quite literally! _

Alastor legit broke a big ass tree down to get through the overwhelming thickets. 

Granted the guy almost passed out, overexerting his already exhausted powers-but hey! At least he got them out of the woods!

Now Angel stood at the foot of an old house's porch, with his third pair of arms now out on display-- the right one tethered around Alastor-- as he was directed forward by the red head. Blood was still soaking out of the bullet wound, but Angel managed to keep his worry tampered down when he realized just how much blood Alastor was losing-- not like he was doing any better, his back was starting to heal around the shrapnel, and that really didn’t feel pleasant-- thankfully though, Alastor didn’t object to the touch.

He accepted it without protest. 

Probably because he knew that he needed it-

Or maybe it was because his microphone still refused his call, but Angel would like to say that it was because Alastor trusted him enough-

Either way, Alastor was letting Angel hold him up, so he'd take the victory where he could get it!

The spider managed to nudge his foot against the soft, molded, _absolutely_ destroyed wood of the steps that led up to the porch and when it splintered he could only look at Alastor skeptically. Alastor took the look well, his grin returning full force as he rolled his eyes, "Don't give me that face, Angel." He scolded, "I think this is quite the find, actually!"

_Well at least his enthusiasm returned.._

Angel gave the old plantation house another look, nearly shrinking back as it croaked underneath the sheer amount of snow that laid idly on it's roof. It wasn't a _large_ plantation house, nothing extremely fancy-- at least from what Angel's seen from Hell's options, and what rare few he remembers passing by in the time he was alive-- two stories at most, nice width, small sides- probably not a lot of room inside, but at this point who cares-

It was probably had a white coat of paint back in it's day, but now so much plant life and mold had eaten that away and left a green and brown stained, rotting, mess of dark bricks and old wood. It had a black roof, and a nicely pillar'd entryway that would've made any other house owner jealous if it were still in it's prime.

There were traces of old gardens, flower beds, and hedges that had overgrown or bloomed outside their designated spots; a stone wall that protected the so called front yard, even if it too looked demolished. But most of all there was graffiti that tainted the the old home; some numskulls had definitely been around to drawn random sayings or vulgar words on the house's front.

The most noticeable was a single word, sprayed with a bright green- probably recently- 'Asswipes' that adorned the black rotting door.

Angel wanted to comment on that, say that the person doing it was probably talking about themselves- but there was still something that he just couldn't process correctly.

_Why the fuck did Alastor think that this place was a good enough match to 'Finding safe shelter'?_

_"Ya gotta be kiddin' me, Smiles."_

"I am certainly not joking, Angel."

"But this-..this place is a crap hole!" The whine was out his mouth before Angel could stop it, "We'd be lucky to even get up the steps without fallin' through the damn floors!"

"And just what makes you think that I would rest in such places?" Alastor scoffed, "You _honestly_ think that I was about to drag us in there before fixing it? My dear, I do believe you're growing loopy!"

Angel paused, mouth open as he _was_ about to object, and instead planted a displeased stare on the side of Alastor's grinning face, "Yeah-yeah. Ha-Ha, so fuckin' funny." He snapped, adjusting his hold and purposely digging his claws into Alastor's uninjured side, "'S'cuse me for thinkin' ya burnt out all ya energy- glad ya finally perked back up, asshole."

"How crude." Alastor remarked, wriggling only slightly to jostle the claws in his side, though there was a shit-eating grin that followed behind it so it seemed lighthearted.

"Spoken like a true prude." Angel snarked, eyes rolling, as he looked back to the house. He tried not to grin as Alastor chuckled airily, barely withholding his eagerness when a firm snap of the red male's fingers forced the house to shudder violently. 

It was kinda weird how the whole thing seemed to just.. _fix itself_.

Think of it like a dog shaking water off it body, but the house just shakes until all the rot, and mold, and plant life, just fall off. Old planks were fixed with freshly painted white ones, the bricks stitched themselves back into place, now stronger than before, and the roof seemed to melt the snow that was on top as it resealed cracks and holes in it's structure. The porch is refurbished with a flourish of green magic, and the inside- at least the first floor from what Angel could see- was now lit with dim lights, possibly lanterns or a fireplace. 

Angel felt relieved that the magic worked, and that Alastor had been messing with him, not just because it helped with the seriousness of the situation- but after seeing the man in such a vulnerable, nearly unreachable, state Angel was scared that he'd up and screwed everything that they've worked on to be closer as friends. Sure having Alastor against his side was nice, and the redhead didn't seem to mind the help, but there was just something about the air that just told Angel that he went to far when he showed how upset he was with Alastor's refusal to react to anything.

Just-.. _now_ that he was thinking about it, Angel could see that Alastor probably needed a moment or two to get ahold of himself, and ever since he saw the look in those crimson optics- how much they struggled to lock onto just him alone-..

Maybe Angel took that too far..

 _Shit_..

Magenta eyes blink wide as Alastor's body swarmed closer, the male's near to nothing body heat warming only slightly as he urged Angel forward by the small of his back. "In we go, my dear- It's far to cold to be wondering around at night." Alastor hummed, though now had no restraint- Alastor must've really did his powers in by fixing the house up.

Angel opened his mouth, ready to ask the same damn question as before, even as he complied and started forward, but still, last time Angel asked if he was okay Alastor had ignored him..so..

_It was probably best not to ask.._

"Ya actin' like ya already own the place, Al." He tossed over his shoulder, grinning down at the smirking fiend.

"I rebuilt it," Alastor points out, "Therefore, it is mine until I say otherwise."

"Makes sense." Angel chuckles, mismatched eyes lighting up when he noticed the door no longer had the graffiti on it. It looked _a lot_ better up close, nice ebony colors. A pale hand reached for the door, turned the knob, before Angel tugged it open. The entry way looked empty despite a large red rug in the middle of the floor, but two hallways branched out on both sides, so there was obviously more to the inside.

Alastor took the initiative to move them forward, his left leg quaking but holding on as he tried to play it off, "I did nothing to the upstairs," Angel guessed that he couldn't do anymore than the bottom floor, "No reason for us to be up there anyways! I only made sure the ceilings wouldn't cave in on us. However the bottom floor is finished and furnished to our needs. Even put in a proper bathroom!"

Angel could only smile and shake his head, adjusting his hold on the other as they took the left hallway, "It's enough, Al. Hell I would've been happy with an unfurnished place- S'long as we got a steady roof ova our heads I won't care-" 

"Nonsense, my dear!" The bags under Alastor's eyes become more defined as his smile widens, more genuine this time "We have no idea how long we're to be here- A little of my magic can be sacrificed to keep us alive for a little longer."

It was obvious that Alastor wasn't going to take anymore mouthing off about the 'little' amount of power he used, no matter how hard he tried to play it off- Angel could tell- the guy was barely able to stand on his own. So Angel decided to spare the other's pride for now, hopefully a reality check wouldn't hit Alastor too hard.

With a small squeeze around the other's torso the arachnid dropped it. "M'kay, Smiles. _Thank you,_ for trying to make this better."

Alastor could've hidden his relief better; his shoulders all but slumped as he steered Angel towards the bathroom, and even his ears lowered just a touch.

"You're welcome." He responded easily, voice crackling as he entered the large bathroom, steering Angel towards a small step stool, before he gingerly pulled away to summon a first aid kit-- even though it took him a hot second to bring it into existence-- "Now," An audible grunt puffed out of the man as he plopped onto the side of the tub, a bout of relief filling his person as he finally got weight off of his leg. A moment passed before he gestured to the stool, sitting between them and Angel took it as a cue to sit down.

"Let's start with you while I'm still capable of keeping my hands steady." Alastor admitted, pulling a rag from the kit before achingly standing back up to wet it at the sink.

Angel let a groan break from his mouth, surprisingly with nothing sexual behind it- no, the spider's mind was far from anything like that in the moment- Angel didn't want his back to be ripped open again, it sucked enough the first time around.

But alas, it had to be done..

Begrudgingly he tugged his ripped hoodie off, but not after shooting Alastor a testing stare as the other male returned to his place on the tub, "Be gentle with me, babe. I'll know if you're not, it takes a lot for me to bruise." He chuckled, but it unfortunately came out dry and tasteless -- _none of the humor in his brain wanted to come out apparently, way to make it more tense Angel!_ \-- Far to many times had he come home with irritated bruises, and almost every time he was near the brink of either collapse or taunting the line for a second death.

"I'm quite aware." Alastor answered in a taciturn, but honest, voice; a scorched hand enclosed over a small rag, carefully dabbing around the wounded areas on Angel's back to clean what blood he could off.

"There's a lot of splinters." Alastor noted, sounding exasperated as he idly picked the smaller pieces out, "Tell me when you want me to start."

"Get it ova with, don't stop unless I tell ya too." Angel requests, relaxing his body before bracing for pain.

Alastor gave the paler male a once over, hesitating for only a moment before nodding, "Very well." Rolling his shoulders, Alastor takes one of the larger pieces, a golden trim shard, and rips it out quickly. Disregarding the blood that pools around the wound for the moment. The grinning fiend moves to the next shard and gives it the same treatment- Angel bites back a cry and surprisingly keeps his body relaxed as Alastor continues to rip the next seven shards of wood and gold trimming out.

It's over within a minute, and Angel thanks his pain tolerance for making the process easier. He's been through worse- _obviously_ \- but this still sucked.

Alastor noted that a shower would help get the blood out, and that he could as the red male stitched himself up- as the shower was around a the corner and was walled off for better privacy.

Angel, of course, couldn't help but crack a joke at that, "Ah~ha-ha, wazthat, Smiles? Eager to see me naked?"

There was a pause.

And as expected he was glared at.

And to further Alastor's disappointment Angel only laughed before turning around on the stool and making a grab for the first aid kit.

"I ain't gonna let ya flounder around with ya own stitching, Smiles." Angel scoffs, his tongue coming out as he threaded the needle, setting it to the side for the moment, before snickering when Alastor raised an unamused brow, "Plus, ya admitted it before, I do it faster than ya can by yaself." He shifted on his stool, bettering his position and nodding towards his side and his leg, "Show me the damage."

"I don't think I ripped that many stitches." Alastor muttered bitterly (Complained), reluctantly pulling at his pant's leg and wincing when he noticed a quarter of them had snapped. Angel managed a fond smile, "' _I don't think I ripped that many stitches_ ', my ass." He mocked playfully, before taking the threaded needle and removing the broken ones that were still embedded in Alastor's partially healed leg.

"I could stab you to death with that needle." Alastor threatened through a huff, his exhaustion overtaking his true anger.

" _Yeah..You could_ ," Angel agreed, starting on the stitches, "Butcha won't!"

"Degenerate."

"Thanks babe, love ya too~"

The noncommittal grunt that buzzed from the older demon was all Angel got in response, and the paler man couldn't help but chuckle as he finished off the rest of the stitches. Gratefully, he took the rag Alastor provided for his hands, before he moved to fish some gauze out of the kit. While did, one of his lower arms gestured to Alastor's midsection, "Gonna have to hike the shirt up so I can patch the gunshot up- the bullet did go straight through right?" Magenta eyes flick over just in time to see Alastor's facade drop into something more apprehensive, though he chose not to question it.

Quietly Angel returned his gaze to the first aid kit.

After a long moment, a shuffle of clothing, Alastor responded with testing tone --a warning if anything-- "Yes, the bullet passed through."

"Good!" Angel chirped, "Gotta getcha leg first, so gimme a sec and we'll finish!"

Mismatched eyes rise back up and take a very noteworthy second to take in the image before him. Alastor had discarded his undershirt; and was now sitting their reluctant, but compliant to a point, it was clear by the expression on his face that there should be no funny business or he may actually go through with the idea of stabbing Angel to death with the needle.

Now..There was nothing too crazy to note, sure he had muscles-- something that Angel questioned the male would even have at his stature-- but it wasn't to defined. There was blood stained against ashen skin- which was also expected..

But Angel didn't really expect the guy would be _covered_ in bite marks- er..bite scars? His torso looked like he'd been stitched back together once before, like he'd been _mauled_ by something else.

Was that how Alastor died? Mauled by an animal?

Be kinda cruel if he was gored by a stag and that's why he turned out to be a deer demon..

The static around the room buzzed a low warning and Angel quickly blinked back in to to see Alastor staring icily at him.

"Sorry." Angel managed, shaking his head furiously before quickly wrapping the other's leg up in gauze. As he did, Angel handed the rag back over to the redhead- telling him to clean the wound.

And so Alastor did.

_As silently as he could despite the wound sizzling at his touch._

Angel finished with his leg quickly, and waited patiently for Alastor to settle down before standing up and wrapping his torso in the rest of the gauze.

Things were left tense as Alastor thanked the male, snapping both his own clothes and Angel's clothing fixed and clean, before he buttoned his undershirt back on and left the bathroom to finally get some rest- _and to let Angel shower if the other so wished._

It hadn't gone as planned, but at this point what does?

Angel sighed as he stepped into the shower.

_Man, he hoped things'll get easier._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, for some reason this sucks whenever I read it- and if it's actually terrible I'm sorry D: M'not sure why my brain decided to turn off and on during this write, so if there are things in this that don't make sense PLEASE TELL ME, cause I've proofread it several times and the words are blending together ;-;


	16. The Deal About A Sinner's Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this several hundred times (I'm exaggerating, it was like four) before I finally settled on this!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy the boys being detectives!

Lucifer was gone within the next ten minutes once he realized that Alastor wasn't going to return any time soon.

His grin returned full fledged and his eyes rekindled with an indifferent spark, a emotion that was just _foreign_ to see in the man's eyes. He looked to of lost all of his exhaustion from before and was now just... _happy._

Charlie watched quietly as her father waved his hand to bid them a farewell before fire engulfed his being and he disappeared. Now here she stood, a few steps shy of the scorch mark that stained her floors, while the room began to reek of brimstone. She was a little frazzled, Charlie was, she's never experienced her father to act so out of sorts so quickly- never having seen him snap to different emotions like that either, usually he was rather nonchalant when he was needed elsewhere-

But then again, _this was Lilith Magne they were talking about_ , and the woman did have a knack for scaring the absolute shit out of people- _even her husband at rare occasions._

Maybe it was why Alastor was so fond of her.

Charlie let out a sigh, her body relaxing, as her gaze flitted over towards the towering form occupying one of the many armchairs in the sitting area.

_Valentino had certainly made himself at home._

She had half a mind to ask him to leave, but the whole reason as to why Valentino was still here kept her from saying much of anything. There was yet hope for the termination for Angel Dust's contract, so for Angel's sake she'd endure Valentino's presence.

_Thankfully though she wouldn't have to do it alone._

Not a moment after Lucifer dispersed, Vaggie was out the kitchen door and making a beeline for her girlfriend, eye staying firmly locked on Charlie because if she were to let it wonder she'd no doubt be sending a deadly stare towards the back of Valentino's head. Vaggie, unfortunately, had a knack for being overly aggressive against Overlords, she'd never show fear to their faces, because in reality the only thing that was left for her to be afraid of- _was if she lost Charlie_.

_The overworld had killed Vaggie long before it deemed her dead. Everything that had once scared her is dead, double dead if you put it in Angel's terms._

At her footsteps, long recognizable to the blonde, Charlie turned and gave Vaggie a wide and welcoming smile- but it fell when she saw the look on the other girl's face.

Two hands griped Charlie's shoulder's tightly, demanding her attention as Vaggie looked the blonde in the eyes. Her shirt was still stained with dried blood, and as expected after being shot, she seemed to move tenderly. There was an urgent glint that sparked in her eye, darkening her pale gaze and solidifying the fact that all seriousness was being brought to the table as Vaggie reeled in Charlie's attention.

Quietly, or as quietly as she could, Vaggie explains the happenings behind the kitchen door.

"Charlie," Vaggie began softly, "Husk and Nifty are acting _strange_. I dunno what it is, but it's got Husk on edge." 

It was never an easy feat, to put Husk off his usual laid back and uncaring groove, pranks never bothered him, scaring never bothered him, (maybe balloon pops did just a little) but overall Husk was a level headed drunkard that never cared for much- unless something or someone he gave a crap about was actually hurting, then he'd try to care at least.

The only time Charlie or Vaggie had ever seen the tom look, _properly_ , out of sorts was when the purge was happening-- and that experience was still disconcerting to this day.

Charlie nodded after a moment, face growing weary as she looked towards the swinging door, "Okay, let's go see-"

_"I know it's a little outta place for me ta ask,"_

Valentino crooned from his side of the room, his shades being flicked up from his eyes as he watched Vaggie's form closely, "but ya know I kinda just got too." He points with his pinkie, as the rest of his fingers were busy cradling a cigar- despite the 'No Smoking In Lobby' sign brandishing the top of the bar- and swirls it around Vaggie's general area as if to gesture to everything the girl had to offer,

"What's with the blood, kid?"

"None of your fucking business, is what." Vaggie snapped back instantly, the strange- almost sentient- bow on her hair curling up as she voiced her distaste, it was obvious she was unafraid of the Overlord taking up their time.

Red eyes stare unwavering into the girls' eyes, flicking between Charlie's and Vaggie's one, before Valentino eventually shrugged and took a drag from his cigar, "Okay." He responded, unbothered as he turned back to gaze at his phone boredly. That is until he noted the time. He waves the hand encircled around his cigar, catching Charlie's attention once more as he then gestured to the stairway, "Can't stay much longer, Blondie. Got shit ta do. If Angie ain't down here in three minutes I'mma have to bounce- you can tell 'em next time ya see him that he should send me a text and we'll talk more 'bout this contract bullshit."

"R-Right." Charlie agreed, still a little star-struck that Valentino was actually considering dismissing Angel's contract, without being threatened by Alastor or herself. 

_However the feeling was gone as soon as Husk and Nifty exited the kitchen, looking terribly stressed if Charlie was being honest._

Amber eyes give a quick glare that pinned Valentino with something judgmental, before Husk halted just before Charlie and Vaggie- Nifty was staying pressed against his side, far to worked up to even meet the other's gazes.

Husk spoke up after a moment of silence, "We've got a problem." He explained quietly, his tone far more serious than Charlie has ever heard it, "Somethin's happened to Alastor, I can feel it."

Straight to the point as always, Husk watches as Charlie's face drops to something a little more horrified than worried. He can see the turmoil that crashes around in her brain before Charlie manages to get a comprehensible thought to cross her mind.

"H-How do you know?"

Claws carefully scratch the nape of Husk's neck, and for some reason the tom feels like he's getting cold feet- _was it really his place to tell the girls about this type'a shit?_

_Nah..they needed to know._

"Look," Husk began, inhaling sharply as he fixed Charlie with a stare, "To make a long fucking story short I'm gonna tell you it straight and simple, understand?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing,“The way Alastor makes deals is just really fuckin’ weird. Makes sense for him, cause he eats people, but for any other Overlord it’s probably not the right way to do shit, cause most of 'em deal with souls. A handful of decades ago, give or take, He and I made a deal.”

Husk seems to fade a little bit as he recalls the very distant memory, “I was in a bad spot, needed some help to get rid of a couple of assholes who did me wrong in the living world- Big fuckin’ mistake on my part, but the bastards got what they deserved.” Something in his tone seemed to harden, like he was trying to convince himself that it was true, “ We shook on it, and he said that as payment I was to hand over my heart for his services.”

Charlie’s eyes widened at the confession, as did Vaggie’s.

Husk watches them for a second before sighing and averting his gaze to _anywhere_ but their faces, "I’ve been with a fake-stand in heart that keeps me alive. If Alastor uses mine _I won’t die_ , but a majority of my demonic energy goes to him.” Charlie's jaw slackens and she shares a look with Vaggie, however it looks like Husk hasn't finished as the man's ears flatten, "The reason I'm tellin' you this is because the pseud-heart doesn't exactly have any working function- don't beat, don't pump blood, it's just there to fill the space and trick the mind into thinkin' I've still got one- but just a few minutes ago somethin's changed. Me and Nifty both felt it."

Nifty tugs on Husk's arm and looks to Charlie, her expression reads pain, but nothing that looked to be physical, her voice is weak as she sputters out, "We both checked, and we both have heartbeats again- meaning our hearts were returned.."

"..And the only way that could be possible," Husk ran a paw over his head and sighed again, " _is if Alastor was killed._ "

* * *

Alastor woke late.

When he managed to pry his eyelids open, at the twelfth chime of the grandfather clock he had summoned the night prior, his body felt sluggish and heavy yet seemed better in a sense. His mind finally had, thankfully, stopped buzzing, and for once in the past twenty-four hours Alastor felt like he could get an _actual_ thought to process properly in his mind.

_He was in a house he commandeered for Angel and himself to stay in- because Lucifer sent them to the overworld. The angels knew of their plans to go to the overworld in the, and were probably the ones who influenced Lucifer into doing the plan in the first place._

_But why?_

_Alastor understood the reasoning behind the angels not wanting anymore blood to stain their hands, he understood it! But why did they shoot Vaggie and attack Angel if they wanted secrecy? Was this just another plan? Was it something of Lucifer's doing? Was he delaying the deaths?_

**_What was happening?!_ **

_Something_ was missing, _something_ was not clicking, and it was driving Alastor _mad_.

A lost piece of a scrambled puzzle, Alastor just couldn't put together for some _stupid_ reason.

The redhead inhaled shortly, his ears twitching as he sat up from his sitting position on the couch.

This was making him tired again.

He needed to do something to stop his brain from overdoing it again, but he can't move or he'd face the threat of ripping his stitches open and making his wounds worsen. _But he'd lose his place again if he stayed.._ \- and starting from scratch was something Alastor _hated_ to do. His right hand came up to rake through his hair, claws itching at the base of his antlers before he moves his hand down to cover his face, 

_He wasn't getting anywhere doing this- sitting was suffocating at this point._

He was stuck in the overworld, with possibly _no_ way out. He lost his closest companion, and it was a death that was in vein-- which hurt even more-- Alastor's Shadow died _for nothing_..-- and now Alastor would, probably, follow it in a death that meant absolutely nothing.

_Hope was, if not already, lost.._

He was pulled from his stupor when a pale hand slapped against his leg, scaring him to a near second death and much to his chagrin making his body jolt-- which in turn pushed his two wounds to wake with prickling protests-- Red eyes melted down to the spindly fingers that tapped against his outer thigh, pupils thinned with distaste and offence, and _glared_ at their rhythmic dance as Angel patted his leg a couple more times.

_Just what was he doing?_

"What the fu-?.. _Al_." Angel slurred out a half sentence before settling on Alastor's name sternly, his voice exhausted, as his other hands waved around- one grabbed the back of the couch, while the others tucked underneath his body- The male was face down on the cushions and looked incredibly comfortable despite the irritated pulse that leaked off his body. "Ya like a fuckin' _alarm clock_ , _please for the love of all things unholy tune down your shit."_

Tune down his..?

Alastor suddenly became aware of just how loud his static was growing. Ears pricking in attention, the red male complies and dismisses his inner thoughts with surprising ease- which in turn quiets his static into a bearable hum- There is a quiet, content, breath that Angel releases before the spider is lifting his head to stare blearily at Alastor, more like glare- but it's kinda pathetic looking- "It's early mornin' and ya wakin' me up to this shit, what's ya deal?"

Despite his smile being bedded down and loose, Alastor still has enough energy to show a little teeth as he listens to Angel's sentence, obviously this man had no internal clock inside of him and that was amusing in of itself.

"It's twelve, we should be up anyways,." Alastor replied after a moment of holding the spider's testing stare, his hand waved towards the clock as it clicked two minutes past twelve, "and I didn't mean to wake you, I was thinking."

"Think less, it helps, trust me." Angel muttered, but conceded and moved to push himself up from the couch. "Don't matter now, I guess. The hell you thinkin' so hard about anyways, Smiles?" He ran a hand through his hair, and blinked at Alastor- his gaze turning from irritated to attentive in a matter of moments, all ears apparently.

Alastor shook his head as if to claim it was nothing-- _even though his static pulsed it's betrayal to his true feelings, if Alastor was being honest..he was worried..--_ , watching calmly as Angel leaned back on the arm of the couch, crossing his legs as he got comfortable again, but the silence was answered with a exasperated stare.

"Al, c'mon, talk to me, it's the least ya could do after wakin' me up." Magenta eyes narrowed slightly, but nothing hostile, "Somethin's botherin' ya, I can tell." Angel pressed, nudging the other with a stocking covered foot. A bold move to make as eyes narrowed at him for doing such a thing, but Angel narrowed his own right back as he reminisced on Alastor's lingering stare from before.

There had confusion, loss, something misplaced, before something mournful drew over the red male's optics and he sobered up.

Angel easily snapped the pieces into place and he voiced his conclusion, "S'it about us getting stuck here an not havin' a way back?"

A black singed ear flicked his way, and Angel leaned back to get more comfortable as the slight gesture confirmed at least a portion of Alastor's mind-set. The spider let out his third pair of arms and stretched for a moment before he waved at the other male who sat quietly on the other side of the couch, Angel yawns and then decides to make a path for Alastor to follow.

"Okay, so tell me." Angel began, rubbing at his eyes lazily, " _Do you think we can find a way back down ta Hell?"_

That was the last thing Alastor needed, but to humor Angel--so the spider would drop it-- he decided to muck up some form of answer,

"Possibly." The radio tin in his voice rumbles, and he leans back against the cushions, "Rituals for the living were made available for the sole reason of granting them a place in Hell. _But they're for the living, and not for the already deceased._ " The idea rolls around in his head, ideas tethering to his own experiences before snapping away with the undeniable fact that it couldn't happen.

"Not to mention- The King of Hell sent us away, so I can only assume we've been banished from Hell. The likelihood of us getting back, without his say so, is slim."

"Hold up, rituals for the living ta get inta Hell?"

"Granted access for when they inevitably die." Alastor corrects easily, "They sell their humanity, and the souls that they kill during life are given to them in death to further solidify their rank in death, while the remainder of their life is fed into the same power." He explains as if it were the easiest thing to understand, and then admitted to doing it himself, "I did the ritual when I was alive, and was one of the rare few that understood that killing other people would make me stronger in death. Not many catch the little details." Yellowed teeth are revealed when the male grins sadistically. 

Angel holds up a hand, looking a little loss, "'Kay, I got some questions for whatever the fuck ya just said right there-"

 _"-First off_ , people _actually_ want to go to Hell when they die, most of us didn't know that Hell wasn't the land of unending torture so that we would be punished for our sins, but even thinking that- people still wanted to go?" Alastor shrugged, "Most of them who do the ritual don't realize that they're going to Hell when they start it, and even if they do they probably wouldn't believe in it's existence- mostly it's to see if Hell is real."

"Cause if Hell's real, Heaven is too." Angel finished, nodding his head, " _Gotcha_." He pointed at Alastor to further that word, before he moved on, "Okay-Second off, you said we were banished."

"Lucifer pulled us from Hell and put us in the overworld without our consent." Alastor spoke as if this were obvious, "Seems to me that banishment is the correct wording, no?"

"Kicked out." Angel snaps, still not believing it entirely, "We can get back in, just gotta think on it."

"I admire your determination, but I am afraid to say that we cannot be let back in unless Lucifer complies first." Alastor points out.

"Shut your face. The fuck happened to your positivity?" Angel's head lolled back as he groaned, one of his top set hands following it back to rub the area between his eyes. Alastor merely watched the display with a tired look, the bags under his eyes not nearly as bad as they were last night, but still darkened and defined with his current expression, " _Realistically_ ," The red male began, "It is very unlikely for us to get back. _But if it makes you feel better, my dear, I do want to think that there is a way back into Hell._ " He rephrased, through a tight breath, if not to just make Angel drop the subject.

"That's a betta, asshole." The spider dismissed bitterly, he was still a little stumped at how stressed Alastor was acting.

Thankfully that seemed like the end of it.

Alastor released a breath, moving his gaze and his attention forward, intent of enjoying the rest of the quiet before one of them moved to do something.

_But of course, Angel was not done yet._

"But seriously-" 

Alastor withheld a sigh as he returned his gaze to the spider, just as Angel sat back up,

"Why the fuck did Luci banish us? I mean, _he had to of known that we knew about the angels' plans_ , but just- ya know- in general..why is he doing this?" Angel struggled for a word, before giving up and spitting it out simply, "Why is Lucifer workin' with the angels? S'gotta be a power thing right? Get rid of all the sinners in Hell and you get all the power back? The fuck do the angels want with Hell anyway- right? They gotta want it empty for some reason."

"My dear," Alastor actually sighed this time, "If I knew any of the answers to your questions we surely wouldn't be here." 

Angel nudged him with his foot once more, "'Kay mister grumpy, tell me this if ya got the fuckin' answer." His tongue swiped over his lips, and his eyes narrowed once more--getting ready to ready Alastor like a book when the other's reaction was shown-- "You think Lucifer and the angels have been in cahoots since before the purge?"

_Alastor was thrown back to his spot on the stage back in the ballroom, during the aftermath of vanishing the entire armada that was dropped from Heaven; the look on Lucifer's face wasn't that of a man that had planned for it to happen- at least from what Alastor could see. Lucifer, that day, seemed rebellious, and serious, like he was rolling with the punches and trying to figure out ways to deliver his own._

_Alastor has been told, many a time, of Lucifer's disinterest for God's plans. How he was disowned by the Big Man, and how he could care less if God still checked in on him from time to time._

_One thing was for certain-_

_Lucifer did not like God or Heaven._

_It was a sore spot the King of Hell avoided like the plague._

"I don't think they're working together." Alastor comments quietly, his smile staying loose. He didn't miss the way Angel's eyes lingered on his face, and oddly enough he was starting to feel warm under the other's scrutiny. "Lucifer's a stubborn man. He doesn't like playing by other's rules. If the angels and or God were setting him a path to walk there's no way he'd be hiding it so well. He wouldn't _willingly_ go along with their plans- and even at that there's _nothing_ for either party to gain." Alastor rolled his shoulders, settling farther into the couch.

At this point Angel went quiet to listen to him mull over his words.

"A deal couldn't of been made. Hell is a barren wasteland with no show of a promising and healthy bloom to fix it. The angels can't be after Hell it's a waste of time. The only thing worth _some semblance of value_ is Lucifer's life- but they've already expressed their disinterest of killing demons, so I believe we're clear with saying that they're not toying Lucifer's life."

This time Alastor does miss the prideful glint in Angel's eyes as he starts to think a little more clearly, "If a deal _was_ made, Heaven can't promise protection for Lucifer's non-sinner people, Hellborn, Imps, and Hellhounds are also subjugated to death by executioners and angels of they find themselves in the way. If they wanted the death of every Hell-spawn and sinner, _Lucifer's family would not be safe--_ that showed enough when they attacked the hotel. Making a compromise to save his family is out of the question.." 

Alastor let it simmer in his mind, claws aimlessly tapping against the couch arm, as Angel scooted closer to sit cross-legged beside him. _Charlie couldn't be safe, but the attack at the hotel had been off, something in play there still wasn't settling right with Alastor._

_Charlie couldn't be to blame, the girl couldn't do bad-_

_..but..maybe **she** didn't have to do bad._

_The realization was instant after that._

_The Archangel had **protected** Charlie._

"Back in the hotel," Alastor acknowledges, his static humming as he played with the thought, "..Do you remember the Archangel?"

Angel's eyes squinted, trying to catch up, "How could I forget? I almost died."

Alastor made himself ignore the jab at the end, he still felt guilty for harming Angel that day, "Do you remember it cut Charlie off from the rest of us, while using me as a distraction?"

"Yeah? What are you gettin' at Smil-" Angel tensed, his mouth opening slowly as he too realized the flaw, he slammed his hands down onto the couch and pointed his lower pair at Alastor- words failed the spider once more, and he was left slapping the couch aggressively as he tried to spit them out. _T_ _hankfully Alastor provided_.

_"What are the chances of them using Charlie as a means to get what they need from Lucifer?"_

Angel scooted closer, nodding frantically as he forced himself to stop beating the cushions to death, "Pretty fuckin' high! That's perfect negotiation material, using a guys daughta against him!" Angel then faltered, his eyes squinting once more as he went over it again, "Charlie can't be in on it though- _I mean she obviously could be_ \- but I don't think she knows that she's being used against her dad, if that's what they're doin', that is. She didn't look like she was hidin' anythin' so I can take a good guess that she don' know shit."

"There is a possibility that she has been kept in the dark." Alastor agreed, trusting Angel's judgement, "But it makes no difference, there is a good chance our dear proprietress is in danger of being killed or taken if Lucifer does something the angels are not fond of."

"Ta think they'd stoop that low.." Alastor watched as Angel shook his head, before he pointed out the obvious, "To tell you the truth, my dear. Charlie is Hellborn- spawn of Lucifer- and in their eyes _a bad person_. Technically they are doing no wrong.." Alastor muttered, "They're still following their code."

"Still, Al." Angel shook his head, " _Charlie did nothin'. They're takin' it too far if they're actually usin' her- and I'mma make 'em pay if they fuckin' hurt her._ "

_Alastor couldn't help but agree with that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That feels rushed- is that rushed? I can't tell..I'm sorry if it is D:


	17. Thumb Twiddlers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason this took so long to crap out is cause I failed entirely on making a outline of this chapter, mostly because nothing that I wrote looked decent- SO This chapter is gonna be a little more lighthearted, or it's gonna try to be xD
> 
> Though as usual this does feel a bit rushed, s'probably cause I didn't outline it, but if it sound's rushed I'm so sorry D:

* * *

"Minnesota?"

"No."

...

"..Vermont?"

"Nope."

...

"Oh-Oh! How about Alaska!"

"Still no."

_"Fuck!"_

Angel sat on the counter as he watched Alastor brace back against the kitchen island, the red male had his eyes trained on a glowing pot that settled on the stove top, but he had an air of amusement that buzzed around him as their little guessing game continued. The spider demon was nearly in a fit, basically racking his mind for the old American states that snowed the most while he was alive.

After being in Hell for the better part of over seventy years _you can imagine how easy it is to forget every other place but the one you died in._

You see, there was a reason to this little game.

They were trying to see _where_ Lucifer dropped them.

Finding their current location was top priority- and once that was done Alastor had claimed about sending his lesser shadow minions out to scout the area more. If he could conjure them, that is.

It's been a couple of days since they've popped into the overworld, not that they wanted to let time draw out for that long- but _it literally took Alastor two days before his body actually let him move_. And when it did, oh boy, did the red demon take advantage of that freedom- Angel hasn't been able to stop him since.

Alastor, earlier that morning, managed to find out that they were currently inhabiting America but sadly his voodoo shit failed to say the state. So here they were working for the next plate of information- well Angel was watching, Alastor was working. Not that he would let Angel help with his little witch spells anyways, something about having a sheer focus and a precision- which they could argue about Angel actually having those attributes, but after thirty wasted minutes they eventually called it a truce as Alastor dropped what looked to be a dehydrated bird carcass into the mix.

Either way, Angel had no other places to go so he'd keep himself busy irritating Alastor and making sure the other man didn't do to much to hinder his healing, Satan forbid the redhead make his wounds worse by walking up some porch steps.

_Plus_ Angel was all for a guessing game, if not to keep himself entertained while Alastor ran himself into the dirt.

By now they've named off a good amount of the northern states, as those always snowed the most; but at every name Alastor would look, shake his head, while his eyes stayed trained on the steaming pot as _whatever was inside_ pulsed a very muted red.

"Air's really fresh, Montana?" Angel offered, hand buried in a bag of baby carrots that Alastor magicked into the house. Apparently food was at a surplus in his void magic, so at least they didn't have to worry too much on that-

- _Well until Alastor got a hankering for human and or demon flesh, then Angel presumed he was fucked, but you know we can deal with that shit show when it comes up..._

Angel inclines his head as Alastor's eyes narrowed at the pot's insides, resting them there for a far longer moment than any of the other times. Something akin to hope sparked in Angel's chest- small and victorious- but, of course, Alastor shook his head and spared him an amused look mixed with a cloud of exhaustion that seemed to of been following the male around as of late,

"Good guess, but no." Alastor hummed for a moment, static buzzing with the noise, before shaking his head and spouting out the quiet word of, "Wyoming?"

The color stayed red, and Angel hopped on the next state while snapping one of the carrots in half to then eat separately.

"Massachushits?"

They both pause, a little unsure of how to react, as chunks partial carrot spat from the spider's mouth-- not to mention Angel literally just butchered the state's name--

Alastor fixes Angel with a bewildered stare, if not a little disgusted as carrot bits hit the floor, before he slowly mouthed the word and laughed quietly to himself. Angel thoroughly embarrassed, swallows his mouthful, but rolls with his slip up as it was the only thing that had cracked through Alastor's mood today, before he tries again.

Unfortunately he manages to say the same thing over. Only this time without a mouthful of carrot to blame it on.

"Massachushits?"

"Massa-Chu- Setts." Alastor supplied, saying it slowly, and grinning when Angel scoffed.

"Massa-" Angel fell through halfway, overthinking it,"-chu-setts." Alastor finished for him, crossing his arms comfortably as he spared a glance to the steaming pot; which stayed an eerie red color.

"Massachu _sits_?"

" _Sets_ , Angel. Not sits."

"Fuck off!"

They go quiet for the moment, Angel crossing his arms tightly under his chest--as to not disturb the floof-- and Alastor stretches back. His static squeaks into a higher pitch as he goes, and the movement jostles the gunshot wound on his side, though he refuses to loosen his posture as he takes a moment to watch Angel thoughtfully.

..

"..It's not even a hard word." Alastor points out, yellow maw peeking out in a soft grin when Angel's head snaps back towards him in a miniature fit of rage.

"Then why are ya sayin' it so slowly?! Ya probably can't say it either!"

A shrug and Alastor reaches over to rummage through the bag of carrots, taking a small handful before retreating back before Angel can smack his hand away--which is a little rude, if Alastor thought hard enough about it.. _He was the one to summon the snack.._ \-- "Speaking slowly helps." He provided, quickly pulling his hand back as the spider gave a few mocking swipes to shoo his palm away.

"Honestly, it just makes ya sound like a dumbass.." Grumpily Angel pulls the bag to himself, intent on winning something against Alastor-- even if it was just a bag, half-empty, of carrots..--

_"At least I can say the word."_

...

"Ya know what, Smiles?"

"No. What?"

_"Oh my god, I hate you.."_

At this point they're both laughing, Angel being outward with the noise as Alastor's laughter is far more airy and short- barely a noise at all, but it was there. Angel kept the act up as he glared playfully at the shorter male.

"Not letting ya correct me on shit until ya say the whole thing in one fuckin' go."

A smirk pulls one at the corners of Alastor's mouth, and the bags under his eyes seem to darken as he shakes his head, "Massa-Chu-Setts." He pronounced, not choppily, but he was making an effort to not make the same mistake as the taller male. _Instinctual slurs be damned._

There's a brief pause, a shuffle of fabric as Angel rubs at his face, while white noise crackles from the Radio demon.

" _Ugh_!" Angel leans back on his lower set palms, magenta eyes narrowed as the other man eats away at the stolen snacks, " _Okay_ , what about Utah? Does your magic pot like that state? Or are ya gonna make me say that one's name like a dumbass? YOU-TAW-" "You said that one just fine the first time." Alastor quipped, finishing off his handful of carrots, while dusting his hands together, not making an effort to acknowledge the middle finger shot his way as he looked into the pot.

Another pause, the glow stays red, and then a frank "No."

Angel's chest moves considerably more out as he inhales deeply, mouth cracked open as he racked his brain for a random state,

"Ahh- Okay, spitballin' here, how 'bout Texas?"

Alastor actually scoffs at that one, not believing it for one second as he looks over to Angel with a raised brow.

_However, at the name, the pot's glow shifts to orange._

A bout of confusion hits Alastor, and before he can voice his surprise Angel has already taken the stage with his colorful langue.

"You fuckin' serious? It's snowing seas of white in _Texas_?"

Alastor lifted his hand, "No. It's snowing somewhere _near_ Texas. We're somewhere south- _which is still quite strange_."

"Okay then, Alabama?"

" _That's not close to Texas, my dear,"_ Alastor corrects easily, before his smile twitched, _"_ I'm just assuming at this point, but Louisiana?"

The glow shimmers to green and Alastor leans back against the island and rubs his eyes in a tired manner, " _Not even going to try to find out the city and county.._ " "'Bout fuckin' time!" Angel comments, peering over to stare into the pot, as he shifts to lean forward more, "We know where we are, now what's next?"

Alastor moves towards the pot, switching the stove off and grabbing the metal sides--probably not even noticing the burning heat that emitted from the handles-- as he twisted around towards the sink in order to deposit the now clear and clean water. Scorched hands release the pot, letting it settle into the stainless steel tub before Alastor wiped his paws on the fronts of his slacks. There was a inquiring glint that shone in his crimson optics, but nothing was outwardly spoken as his attention swiveled around the kitchen one last time before he finally met Angel's eyes.

"I'm not sure." He answers, his voice undeniably more tired sounding than before, "I could try to conjure up more minions, but at this rate I don't see a point in doing so other than to see the actual area we're in- and to see if there are angels running a muck.."

Angel shrugged, though it was barely acknowledged by the other, and continued to eat as he pulled the rest of himself up on the counter to sit cross-legged, "You wanna go sit down, and I can start something for dinner?" At his offer Alastor immediately shakes his head, and Angel finds himself smiling at the stubbornness.

By tonight Alastor was gonna crash on the couch, Angel knew it. He was wasting so much energy.

Angel watches as the red clad male looks out the kitchen window, optics narrowed at the near foot of snow outside and it becomes clear he's trying to think the ordeal over. Angel tries to supply ideas where he can, but he knows deep down that Alastor probably didn't want his input. "Think the weather could be somethin' to do with the supposed 'Day Of Reckoning?'

"Possibly, but I have a feeling that the angels have yet to purge the overworld."

Angel offers a small carrot to the man, nudging him with his foot-- _again--_ to get his attention, before urging Alastor to elaborate, "Got the tingles up your spine, Smiles?" Alastor granted him a odd look, before it turned into something akin to appreciation as he plucked the cold vegetable from his spindly fingers, "Actually no," He revealed, "Which makes me think the overworld has yet to be purged."

"Makes sense, plus we ain't really seen or heard anything outside other than normal wildlife, so maybe you're right.." Angel nudges his hoodie up slightly in order to scratch at the faded black spot that still bruised his midsection, though it no longer hurt it seemed like the damage was taking it's sweet time healing. Alastor's eyes focused in on the bruise almost instantly, and if possible the male's facade seemed to deflate more.

Angel noticed, he's noticed before of course, Alastor was always trying to sneak peaks at the nasty looking mark, but at this point the worry was getting old--and if anything it was unneeded, _Angel was perfectly fine!_ \-- Quickly the spider tried to ease the other's thoughts with another suggestion, "You tried to pick into the radios? See what you can hear from those?"

Crimson eyes avert, and suddenly Alastor is staring intently at the stove top again. Angel can take a good guess that he either ignored his question or didn't hear it at all-- either way it was clear that Alastor's focus was now on less important matters, much to Angel's chagrin.

" _Smiles_." 

Two black ears twitch up at the beckon and Alastor is met with Angel's firm stare; an odd look that was rarely, if ever, seen on the man's face, Alastor could only blink as half a carrot is flicked his way. "Don't go radio silent on me, doll." A sly wink was sent Alastor's way, and it was countered by a rise in the static's noise as the redhead leaned down to pluck the discarded carrot up--just to toss back at Angel who made a dramatic move to dodge it, _it still hit his arm but the effort was made_ \--

"Puns are not your forte, my dear." "You suck at 'em too." Angel countered with a gentle smile, patiently waiting for Alastor's gaze to hit him again.

"Not much time for jokes, these days, I'm afraid." 

There was a shift in his tone, something tampered but growing, something that faltered and stumbled around in his eyes before he blinked it away.

"Sheesh, Smiles." Angel scoots to the edge of the counter before stretching his legs and dropping down to the floor, "Talk about depressing, s'like talkin' to a whole different man."

Static crackled again, rumbling into a tuned growl, and Angel stops short as Alastor settles a scolding stare on his taller form.

"Alright, alright..You know I'm joking, Smiles." The spider soothed, placing the food bag off to the side as he smiled apologetically, "S'a force a'habit, ya make it easy for me ta tease. But honestly? Ya look terrible, babe-" "Your input is always delightful, Angel-" " Yeah, yeah..-I'm not done, smartass." Angel cuts back in, tsking at Alastor's sarcastic comment.

Angel takes a couple of steps closer, halting in front of the other demon, before leaning back on the opposite counter with his lower set of arms loosely crossed over his stomach. Alastor looks a little unsure of the notion, but listens carefully as Angel scratches at his neck.

"Maybe we need a couple more days to get a betta grip on what we're dealin' with. Take it slow ta make sure we're not missing anythin'. We already know where we are, and we got a good guess that the angel's haven't been here yet. So maybe now we just wait until something happens?" Angel shifts a little awkwardly, unable to help but notice the subtle shake of Alastor's left leg, "Why dontcha go sit down for a bit? Take me up on my offer to make us some dinner, 'kay?"

At the drawl of silence, Angel could feel a part of himself falter. Maybe he pushed a little too far with that last part..Shit that was probably a bad blow to Alastor's stupid ego..

_But of course, Angel is once more taken off guard as Alastor--ever the showman-- perks back up._

Alastor had given in after a beat of silence, his smile tampered down as he spared a look back towards the hallway that led towards the living area. His efforts reining his emotions back into check now starting to pay off as he caught Angel's expression break a little.

"Right." He agreed, though he sounded a little out of it as he veered around the island to walk back to the other room. Angel only saw him pause for a brief moment, just to look back and grant him a far more tired smile this time around, before he turned back towards the hallway, "Thank you Angel. Not sure what I would do without you, my dear!"

Angel's brows furrowed, and for a moment he didn't register Alastor's words sounding so fond.

Oh that bast- _oh..that wasn't a- Wait._

_Did Alastor just compliment him?_

* * *

"Oh my god.." 

Charlie could barely believe her eyes.

Vaggie had her snug against her side, pale eye locked solely on the ripped open corpse that laid still in the middle of the penthouse, her breathing calm and collected--but deep down the grey haired girl was cracking at the sight that laid before her and Charlie.

Top floor of the Happy Hotel, room 1001, one of the best penthouses they had available, a massacre had taken place. Traces of a bad fight stained the walls, imprinted the floors with both blood and fire tainted marks, while feathers of pale white dashed through the air like leaves dancing in the wind. 

An Angel, not of demonic origin, but a creature of heaven, had been ripped open and pulled apart- their body thrown astray in various pieces.

A wing draped over the kitchenette island, it's counterpart leaned brokenly against the opposite wall, while a leg had been tossed across the room with a lingering bite mark engraved into their pale flesh. Organs circled around their body, their hands in a near closed fist, a lost fight still lingering in their muscles.

_"..Oh my god..."_

Vaggie could feel Charlie move forward, noting traces of white fur and black blood-- indistinct signs of both Angel and Alastor-- the scraps of a crushed letter opener discarded by the door, while the rug-- a once prized possession reduced to tattered strips-- had been cast aside to reveal what remained of a Devil's Trap. Dark eyes shift to better follow the dark trail of blood over towards the corpse of the angel, and when a glint of light cracked against her eyes Charlie suddenly felt as if she'd been kicked square in the chest.

The poor Hellborn could barely comprehend the soft words her lover ushered as she covers her mouth. Her eyes staying firmly locked on the small glinting circle on the blood stained floor.

Vaggie abandoned the door frame when she saw her lover shiver, her singular eye noting the trail of black as well before she too took notice of the glinting trinket sitting broken in a puddle of the angel's viscera. Biting back a noise of surprise, Vaggie took a careful step closer, easing her hand down before plucking the item up and inspecting it closer.

_\--As if she really had to look too know who it belonged to--_

Wary, Vaggie adjusted the trinket in her palm before holding it out towards Charlie who in turn winced as she was given a better look.

It was a monocle..

_Alastor's_ _monocle_.

It was broken, cracked diagonally through the middle, but it retained it's red colors but it's frame was badly damaged and would most definitely be needing repairs.

But nevertheless, the monocle was here, and _not_ with Alastor- which..probably wasn't a good sign seeing as Husk and Nifty's contracts had been broken..

Charlie could only bury her face in her hands as an heavy weight settled inside of her being, a choked noise stopping short in her throat, while her frame sunk in on itself.

_Vaggie could only listen as her lover mourned, unsure on how to process the information herself as she stared wide eye'd at the monocle in her palm._

_"..oh my god.."_

* * *

It was another hour and a half before Angel deemed dinner ready to go.

Tonight's menu: a pasta with homemade sauce and bread.

It was simple, easy, and good tasting; which is honestly all that Angel cared about at the second as he rummaged around the cupboards for two plates.

Over the given time alone, Angel's given enough time to let Alastor brood, and himself to recover from the conversation before. They hadn't spoken a word to each other at all during the time in between him making dinner- so at this point Angel deems it safe to assume that Alastor had finally fallen into a nap, _hopefully_. 

Spooning a healthy portion onto one plate, Angel chews delicately on his cheek while going over some talking points that both he and Alastor would need to go over. It wasn't good for the other man to be keeping things to himself- especially if they were effecting him this badly, more importantly if they weren't even necessary.

Angel's injuries were first and foremost, Alastor needed to realize that what he did was an accident and that Angel didn't blame him for anything. Then the apology for grabbing him back in the woods and yelling, which Angel still feels terrible over doing, ..and maybe a sorry for ogling at his scars. Before tying it all up in a pretty bow and telling the other that they're in this shit together and that they need to work with one another in order to get out alive.

If Alastor decides to be a stubborn shit, then Angel's going to beat him into compliance.

Right now, they _need_ each other.

_He doesn't need the pity, and Alastor doesn't need to be so fucking miserable._

Moving the full plate to one of his bottom set hands, Angel starts work on his own.

He just really hoped Alastor would be in the mood to listen. I mean- _why wouldn't Alastor listen?_ Angel's the only company he's got that wouldn't run away screaming. But was the guy ready for this talk-? M _entally ready, that is._

Adding two forks into the mix Angel squeezes his eyes shut, inhaling deeply for a long moment, before releasing the breath and opening his eyes back up to then lock them onto the dark hallway that led towards the living area Alastor currently occupied.

_Nothing to worry about, Angel. Just a temperamental, cannibalistic, deer demon that could rip your head off at the wrong words.._

_..._

_"Ah fuck it. He tries to refuse my apology I'm shoving this fork up his ass.."_

Angel moved from the kitchen to the living room, plates in hand, while he quietly stepped through the hallway. 

His eyes were met with the welcoming light of a fire and the smell of smoke, he could see Alastor's figure settled back on the couch his injured leg propped up on the ottoman--at Angel's request prior to this day-- while a large, hard cover, book sat snugly in his scorched hands. Radio static chipped through the air, clips of talk show hosts tuning in and out as the man's focus stayed on his lengthy looking book. 

Though his ears _did_ flick to Angel as soon as he entered the room, so the element of surprise was lost.

"Angel Dust." Alastor greets, far to formal for Angel's taste as the spider rounds the couch, his eyes fail to lift from the passage he's reading through crescent framed spectacles, but his ears follow the other male and listens intently should he speak. There's a smile on Alastor's face, nothing out of the normal, tampered and at bay, though it looks like it's no longer forced.

"Hey, Smiles." The other greets after a moment, eyeing his injured leg before deeming it okay for the moment, "Food's done, thought I'd bring ya some-"

"I'm not a cripple yet, my dear. I can get up so we can eat in the kitchen-"

"Too late, I'm already sitting!" Angel chimed, plopping down on the red cushions while grinning, magenta eyes glinting with humor as Alastor rolls his eyes fondly.

The red clad demon's hand then hand reaches out, turns the page, before turning and seeking out and grabbing at the side table next to the couch, it returns to Alastor's mouth with a cup of some type of drink in it's palm. Alastor in turn takes a swallow, before setting it back down on the cup holder. His ears twitch as he drinks, but stay solely locked on Angel's form as the spider flops down onto the couch beside him.

"Here." Angel motions at the plate of food, "Stop ya readin' and eat 'for I take the book away."

Static purrs around the Radio demon, audibly showing his amusement even if he didn't outwardly express it, "I'd love to see you attempt it, my dear." Alastor comments, but complies, marking his page before he sets it aside. Angel holds his plate out and the redhead takes it gratefully. "I could smell it cooking from in here, thank you."

"'Course." Angel responds simply, if not a bit awkwardly, as he scooches away for some much needed breathing room, quietly watching as Alastor began to fork some of the pasta up.

 _He still hasn't made proper eye contact_ , Angel noticed. Could he of caught on that Angel was starting to get proper reads on his moods now? Was that why he was acting so reserved? _Was Angel in trouble? Alastor only used his full name when he was in trouble- oh shit should he move? Wait-wait-wait..no, calm down, Alastor is eating, it's fine._ Magenta eyes squint as Angel take in the unreadable expression Alastor currently bore, there wasn't any noticeable signs of internal conflict, but there _was_ something different in those eyes that Angel just could pick out from the sidelines.

_Good grief this talking thing could be hard when the other person didn't seem too intent with conversation. Okay, maybe he should just start off calm- probably apologize for staring at his scars or wait- no- start with the yelling in the forest? Shit this was bad-_

It's a solid minute before Angel realizes he's been staring.

_And the only reason as to why he notices is because Alastor is staring right back, watching him as if he's gone and grown a second head._

"Something the matter, Angel?" By now the static in the room has a more energetic buzz and Angel realizes that it's because Alastor is feeling threatened or uncomfortable-- _probably the latter--_ His eyes pin the spider to his spot, striking right through his nonexistent soul and pinning him breathless.

Suddenly the spider can't stop himself.

"Al, you know I'm not.. _hurt_ right?"

Welp, no turning back now.

"I saw how ya reacted back in the kitchen early, when ya saw my stomach..I just wanted to tell ya that I'm okay- that it's not ya fault and all that-.."

Alastor shakes his head, plate of food forgotten, "Angel-" "Don't fuckin' 'Angel' me, Smiles. I'm just saying that I'm fine and ya gotta stop blamin' yourself for doin' that. S'fuckin' stupid."

It's a blunt way to put it, but it's out now so Angel deems the words fit for Alastor's ears. Maybe he needed to hear it like that.

...

"Alright." Alastor agrees quietly, and Angel gawks.

_'Alright'?_

_'Alright'?!_

_That's all he had to say was 'alright'? Where was the heartfelt words that usually came next- the shit that happened in the movies where the actor would blubber some sort of mushy apology?! That **is** what usually happens right?_

As if seeing the conflict, Alastor winces and sets his plate down on the coffee table, there's a beat of silence that he endures in order to piece together the correct wording--Satan forbid he say the wrong thing an make Angel more pissed off-- before he finally raises a hand in order to regain the lost attention, "I'm not the best at these things," He admits, "Guilt doesn't come easily for me and it's hard to process something that you haven't felt in _decades_. Or at least something of that level. Seeing you injured because of me was a rough blow, and I never quite figured out the correct way to apologize for it-"

"I literally said I don't blame ya for it." Angel protests immediately after recovering from the initial shock of hearing Alastor admit to something he wasn't good at doing, "Ya healed me afterwards so we're even! S'like when I shotcha back in the hotel-" He veers back to when the angel ambushed the two of them, dragging Alastor alongside, "I was scared of what you were gonna do, so when you said that it was okay and that ya understood I just dropped it there because I could tell there were no hard feelin's." Angel's chest tightens as the static filling the air dials down to something quiet and thoughtful,

"We're friends, Al. Ain't nothin' you could do to make that any different. So let's just call it even and leave it at that, okay?"

Once again, Alastor nods and agrees, " _Okay_."

The silence is then deemed awkward as they both look away.

" _Fuck this shit is stupid_ , okay-" Angel brings his own plate closer and waves his lower hand quickly, "S'talk 'bout somethin' else, get this mushy crap outta here." Angel stops himself before he could apologize for yelling at the male, _even he knew that after all that talk Alastor wouldn't want to hear anymore apologies._ A pale hand points towards the book the other male was reading, and Angel quickly snaps onto the next intriguing thing in the room,

"What's the book for anyways?"

"Ah! Right." Alastor perks, having already grabbed his plate from the table, "I was reading up on some of the more ancient rituals I've collected over my years in Hell." He revealed, and Angel listens intently-- _Had Alastor found a way back into Hell?_

"They have gotten me no where, thus far." Alastor admits, a little frustrated, but he continues, _"But, they do have me thinking._ Beings more powerful than Lucifer can come and go into Hell as they please. Eldritch magics, and Heavenly beings are the two that show off those powers the most, we already have a means to one of those powers through myself but even so I'm not exactly fully charged as of this moment." "You sayin' we gotta mix the two of those into a weapon that can make a hole to Hell?" "I'm saying we can see if mixing them works in the first place." Alastor corrects quickly, watching as Angel shifts closer,

"Holy weapons have an Angelic essence and when my shadows encircled the conjured grace, back in the palace ballroom, _something_ _did_ happen that expelled Heaven's forces from Hell, even Lucifer was knocked to his knees by it's power- it _could_ work is what I am saying."

Angel tilts his head as a thought strikes, pursing his lips he raises his fork pointedly "Ain't he an angel still though? Like- not _full_ angel but like a tainted version of one?"

"A small part of him remains purely angelic I'm sure." Alastor agrees after a moment's thought.

"What's stronger than a tainted angel? An Archangel or just a normal one?"

That was a good question, an Archangel would no doubt be stronger than Lucifer, but your average run of the mill angel holds a similar fraction to what the King of Hell has inside of himself- Lucifer was one of the average angels long ago, being in Hell has only tainted his powers into something more fiendish and chaotic.

However, as seen, Angelic powers mixed with Eldritch could overthrow the King or at least stagger him long enough for them to slip through the cracks. Alastor bore witness to this effect when he corrupted the Angelic grace.. 

_But where were they going to find enough essence to do that? Angel had his weapons, but that wouldn't be enough for the both of them to surge in power._

"The Day of Reckoning!"

Alastor's fork clattered against his plate as he stiffened, his static shrieked at the outburst from the other man beside him. Angel was more or less just as shocked by the volume of his own voice, but there was an excitement that bubbled from his being that Alastor just couldn't get away from.

"Angels are gonna be swarming this place when God swoops down to gather his followers! We can get everything we need when it happens!"

"Us against an army?" Alastor was in disbelief, "We'd be slaughtered!"

"No-no-no, Smiles! We can pick 'em off one by one, you said it yourself if we _can_ mix your magic with theirs to create something stronger then all we have to do is kill a few before you're rampaging through the streets! You'll easily get enough power to zap us both back inta Hell!-"

"Angel we _both_ have to be as strong as Lucifer, I don't think I can drag us both down there by myself- But, now that I'm thinking about it, it's..a little impossible since you are still soul bound to Valentino, you're unable get any stronger unless he permits it-" Alastor's eyes soften as the spider deflates, a semblance of sympathy pinging off of him as Angel moves his gaze to glare scornfully towards the fireplace.

That fucking roach always had his ways to ruin his life..

"There ain't a way to get my soul back from where we are, is there?" The question is numbed, and Alastor shook his head eyes slightly narrowed at the other male, "I could've forced it if we were back in Hell. Killed Valentino for it even. But it seems our hands are tied once again-.."

"Just when this shit was perkin' up too.." The words taste bitter, and Angel doesn't even try to hold back his upset tone-- _he hated Valentino so much_ \-- he stands and offers his hand in order to take Alastor's empty plate, now wanting to do something else in order to take his mind off of the bad news. 

He was expecting a plate to be set in his palm, but when a warm hand settled into his own, Angel was suddenly aware of Alastor's gaze on his chest, watching the clothing covered fur mound intently while his scorched hand drew Angel close.

_Now Angel was no stranger to being stared at, it was something he took as a compliment!_

_But Christ on a stick, having Alastor's eyes on him made him feel mindful of his own appearance. S'like he was picking out every single flaw on the inside of Angel's body, the look was so fucking intense._

"My dear," The red demon's voice was nearing the climb of bewilderment as he spoke, red optics peering upwards as Angel tensed up, "Are you quite sure that it was you made a soul binding contract with Valentino?"

Confused, Angel tilted his head, "Uh..yah, why?"

"Pardon me for staring, however, I am fairly certain that it's your soul I'm looking at right now." Stunned, Angel watched as Alastor's grin stretched fully across his face in a sense of victory, a move that was downright contagious as their interlocked hands squeezed together,

_"Guess we haven't a moment to waste now! I believe it's time we made preparations for these 'angel hunts', don't you agree?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO I'd really quickly like to say that I read everyone's comments! I just respond to immediate ones after I've posted, unless I want to say something, or feel the need to- just know that I adore EVERY comment I get, they make me so friggin happy, and that I'm so sorry if I don't respond to yours.
> 
> It absolutely makes my day seeing you guys trying to figure out the future plot even though I've literally been spinning you guys in circles xD
> 
> Much love from your inconsistent author <3 Keep safe in these trying times guys.


	18. Oh, How The Fallen Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a hot mess, on a melting plate, in a restaurant with screaming children.
> 
> It's shorter than the rest and might even be a little confusing--if it is, do say something, I do not mind explaining further as this was not written without an outline to assist me. (My brain doesn't like outlines sometimes, and inspiration just likes to vomit in my stories before I have a chance to catch up)
> 
> Despite that, I do hope you guys like this one!

* * *

_Hell was a strange world._

A barren wasteland that would be better suited as a natural sauna than a home for the damned. Just a pool of heat and misery for those willing enough to dip their toes inside. Torture wasn’t outwardly chained to those who were new, it springs onto you when you least expect it. 

Like a knife to the back.

Betrayal comes as easy as long lasting loyalties and deals.

It’s like breathing to Hell’s people.

That’s how Hell worked--it’s how Lucifer _wanted_ it to work.

After all, what would home be if you couldn’t be yourself?

Lucifer would always admit to being entertained by the suffering of his subjects, having grown far too accustomed to it over his long rule in Hell. However, _there was a fine line of how far he’d allow things to escalate.._

His subjects were supposed to bring torment and pain unto each other. 

_But the angels._

_Those_ **_fucking_ ** _angels._

_They weren’t allowed to do any of it._

_For all Lucifer cared, they could stay in Heaven and never see the shadows of Hell again._

  
  


Snake eyes, yellow in color, with detail you could see purely upon closer inspection, watch discontentedly as Pentagram City stayed dark for yet another night. No shining balls of fire would fall tonight, no new sinners would enter Hell, no new subjects to torment. Lucifer wouldn’t allow it- not when his people had targets on their backs.

Not to mention lesser demons all but died permanently upon impact, all because of the Archangel's influence and mere presence in Hell. Angelic grace was like breathing in the worse toxic fumes, and the lesser of his people's insides practically _boiled_ when inhaling the stuff.

Shutting down Hell was only a little part of the game he was playing, even if it made the entire thing more risky, with the now limited amount of able bodies,-- Lucifer believed he could pull this off. It was fool proof plan!

\-- _emphasis on the 'fool'--_

Though he would be lying if he said that he was confident in his plans. Hopeful, yes, just not confident.

Deep down, layered just above that disgraceful hope that nestled it's way inside, Lucifer was truly _livid_ underneath his bright eyes and toothy smile; burning sets of hellfire infused optics honing in on the distant city, while his maw stretched into a tooth-bared smile, would be the correct way to describe his expression.

Oh how he hated to be backed into corners like this. With his information scattered wildly, and his mind in chopped pieces.

It was almost maddening with how crazy this has been!

 _Almost._

His body felt like fire; and his head was practically a steaming kettle on a stove top as Lucifer sets aside his top hat in order to rake a hand through his hair, practically scaring his scalp as his fingers decided to sharpen into further claws. Two horns were brandished atop his head, sticking from blonde hair he was scratching at, splotched blood red in color that clashed dangerously with his white attire. A side effect due to his current state of mind, but nothing his hat couldn’t hide away.

The man wasn't stressed, Lucifer didn't get _stressed_ , but he could be tired

Leaning forward on the railing of one of the many balconies that occupied his home, one that overlooked his orchards and gave him a sightly view of the city that lies north of his homestead, Lucifer stared at the darkened city as his claws pressed against the stone rails. _It all but cracked under his palm_. The pale hand barely applied pressure on the smooth stone but the well designed patterns were destroyed under his fingertips.

He cared not for the structure he's broken, far more intrigued with his fuddled mind as it tethered together the day's events.

_And what a tiresome day it has been._

Gathering the Overlords took far longer than Lucifer originally wanted. But of course, finding the ones that weren’t killed during the purge was just as hard as forcing them together into a room. Not that Lucifer expected it to be easy- he could at least count on Charlie and Alastor to make _some_ form of attempt of getting along with the others. But then Valentino just had to be an attention whore, what the hell was he thinking? That Alastor would tolerate him? _That Charlie would tolerate him?_

At the very least Vox and Velvet stayed quiet enough during the meeting, only voicing their wariness of him feeding off their powers. Of course, Lucifer didn’t mean much harm behind that-- _he honestly needed their strength_ \-- just not for something they would particularly understand.

Banishment was one thing. Caging someone up was another.

Then again would it _really_ be banishment if Lucifer was doing it to protect someone?

Such a curious question..

One he couldn’t answer. 

He just hoped that there were no hard feelings between himself and Alastor. If he were able to do it differently, he would have; but because of that damn angel interfering with his business- things had to play out ugly. Just what were they thinking anyways when they attacked the Hotel? _That they’d get away with it? That Lucifer would intervene, and ruin his chances? Break his deal? That Alastor would just roll over and offer his belly like a common dog?_

_Surely they weren’t that stupid, right?_

That man was far too smart for his own good. That angel should’ve realized that from the start. Not to mention the whore Alastor was with, _Angel Dust,_ is far more clever and stubborn than anyone’s given him credit for. It was easy to see that both of them separately were dangerous, but putting them together is a recipe for a calculated disaster.

It was only a matter of time before one of them caught the scent of something suspicious.

_Such a shame they figured it out at the same time though._

Lucifer leaned over more, crossing his arms over one another as he sank into his shoulders comfortably. Part of him knew deep down that Alastor would hold a grudge against his quick thinking, that there would be attempted murder when the man made it back. ... _If the man made it back that is_. 

Now that's a interesting thought! Lucifer hummed through his amusement, sabotaging his friend in order to save his own skin.

...

Nah..Alastor would gut him if he tried.

...

Really funny though.

But still--

Lucifer raised his hand and formed a loose fist, instantly a cloud of smoke pours from the middle before a wavy picture of Alastor and Angel Dust appears before his eyes. The two are settled around a coffee table that was _piled_ with books and papers, and they looked to be in the midst of some grueling studies. The spider demon looked exhausted as he read through one of the smaller books, eventually looking over to a large grandfather clock that read 1:00, before looking back to Alastor and speaking to him while stretching more out across the couch.

They looked far different from when Lucifer last saw them a couple hours ago. Changed clothes and everything--

_I wonder.._

Lucifer dug around in his coat pocket, iris flickering back into their normal pupils as his claws catch a small, metal, chain before pulling it from his pocket. A silver trinket dangled from the chain on his finger, a poorly painted apple dotting the back of it with a chipped paint.

Lucifer couldn’t help the swell of affection that consumed his being every time he laid eyes on the childish design.

_It was a gift from Charlie, one from years ago, back when she was just a mere child._

Something he hasn’t been able to rid himself of.

A semblance of fondness crossed the depths of Lucifer’s eyes, something that made him squint a little more while his scowl loosened in a ghost of a smile.

_And then he noticed the actual time._

**4:30**

On the dot.

It had to have been at least two hours since he last saw Alastor and his arachnid friend, but it's been at least six hours since they've been banished-

Would that have made it fifteen days for them in the overworld? 

_Had time already passed that quickly?_

Lucifer glanced back to the image of Alastor and Angel Dust, a brow raising in mild shock when he saw the spider straining to fight the other in order to tend to a bandaged area on Alastor's leg. It was a fruitless battle that ended up with the taller demon being batted away while Alastor grumpily began to undo his bandages in order to reveal a nasty rip straight down his lower leg.

_Had Lucifer caused that?_

He watched as Angel Dust gave the wound a lingering once over before handing over a roll of gauze so it could be bandaged again. His mouth moved, indicating chatter, and Lucifer suddenly caught him pointing to his left side while picking at his shirt. Alastor, at whatever was being spoken, merely tilted his head--looking very uncertain-- before his head shook no and he waved the other away.

Lucifer concluded that was the end of them playing doctor, and curiously watched as the spider leaned back on the couch to get comfortable, while Alastor continued his reading. Yellow eyes flicker back to the clock and Lucifer notices that it had already turned to 1:36, looking back to his pocket watch he also noted that at least a minute and a half had already passed.

A small grin took Lucifer's face as he waved the image away, tucking his watch back into his pocket before chuckling softly.

_Alastor was gonna be so pissed off if he took his sweet time fixing this problem._

Clawed fingers snag the rim of a white top hat before they carefully twirled the accessory around. Thoroughly entertained with such an idea, Lucifer caught himself in a better mood as he retreated inside. 

He supposed he could try interrogating again-- but would answers actually be given?

Lucifer hummed thoughtfully as he passed the ballroom, his gaze stabbing into the scorch mark that still lay in the middle of the floor. His hands tightened together at the small of his back, but nothing outside of a subtle twitch spoke of his uncertainty. Starting forward again, the eldest demon decided that he could try his best in order to get a proper confession.

It may not be the start that he wants, but hey- if it gets him closer to his goal then what the hell?

A little talking never killed him anyways.

* * *

_"Shall we try this again?"_

Muscles go taut as a cheery voice breaks past the door clicking shut, a faint surprise singing in haunting blue eyes as a weakened expression was tossed over a bare shoulder. The glow followed those wary eyes, casting the room with a swaying alice blue as it draped the metal door with it's ominous spotlight, no person was in sight, and to make it worse the air was slowly becoming more suffocating as footsteps echoed throughout the room.

The person at the door moved fast, staying out of view as another wave of heavy magic leaked through the shackled being who was kneeled on the floor. Cold embraced their muscles, sucking all the energy from them before dispersing and leaving them far more exhausted than before. For a place that was known for such heat, it was a wonder how something so frozen could exist.

The being hefted their chin back over their shoulder and lowered their head again, knowing good and well that if someone else was in the room that conversation would start with them enticing it-- that and if they hallucinated the person speaking, they wouldn't be considered insane for talking to something that wasn't currently there.

Ever so gently, a hand was placed on the nape of the being's neck, before golden hair was pulled back and tied sloppily back in order to keep any stray locks from falling into the battered face of a creature who was once so powerful. The hand lingered, even as the room _vibrated_ with a threatening hum, but it was tampered down when the person beside them stepped into view.

"I do so hope you've enjoyed your stay so far!" 

Snake eyes, yellow in color, and so carefully detailed it was impossible to see through the armored barrier into the soul that defines them, stare, gleamed with amusement as their holder grins maliciously down at the shackled being. "I mean," He began, discarding his hat with a preppy flourish, while also taking his pristine suit jacket off as well, they both stayed suspended in the air without anything holding them up, "You said it yourself, _dearest brother_! That you _enjoyed_ my home, did you not?" 

Silence carded through the air, just as a pale hand raked through equally light blonde hair. A brow lifted at the unnatural lack of conversation, but the blinding grin stayed as Lucifer tugged the buttons on his sleeves open so he could roll them up to lock the fabric behind his elbows. A soft breath expelled from his mouth before he placed his hands on his hips and gave the shackled being a curious look. 

He looked like he wanted to say something, but paused when faint bells sang in a attention catching tune. A brief flash of surprise crossed his features, before he fished around his pants pocket before eventually pulling out a silver pocket watch. He inspected the time before something a little more grim took his face.

"Already five-thirty. Such a shame." Lucifer hummed, "You're wasting time with your silence, please do speak- or have you finally gotten second thoughts? Will we have to try something more forceful?- Maybe a severed wing to present to good ol' dad?"

**_"Me?.. Getting second thoughts?"_ **

The eventual break of silence brought a more pleased grin to the man's pale face, even if the tuned voice was off key and broken. **_"Nonsense, Lucifer!"_** There was an attempt to be jovial, but it came out dry and humorless, **_"Besides, you should know by now that nothing you can do has the ability to harm me."_**

"Oh the woes of being an Archangel!" Lucifer agreed, kneeling down and locking eyes with the chained being, snake eyes glittering with darkened mischief, "The 'Nothing can harm me physically' shtick, however, do remember that _mentally_ we all _do_ end up just a little shaken! Even the tough ones like you, Michael!"

 ** _"Terribly naive of you to think that, Lucifer."_** The other dismissed softly, not bothered in the slightest. **_"You only say that because I was taken off guard by one of your wretched people."_**

"And I am quite grateful he put you in such a weakened state!" Lucifer agrees, but then he pouts dramatically, " Hold on- _n_ _aive_? You are aware that you've slowly been losing your energy, right? Every hour that passes, more of your power is taken away and stored! If anything you're the naive one for thinking you have an advantage here!"

 ** _"One Archangel will not be enough to save Hell. Our Father will prevail."_** "Not even the _strongest_ Archangel's powers?" Lucifer asked innocently, but their was a mocking defiance in his gaze that made Michael's eyes narrow dangerously. **_"I am not the strongest."_**

"You're a pretty close second then, Michael! Don't be so humble, it's not a good look on someone who does all the dirty work. Plus, if you _honestly_ think that I'm using you to feed Hell's defenses, you're far off the mark."

 _ **"Then what am I here for, Lucifer? I have no more knowledge of our Father to give-- Or have you finally come to admit that you've missed my company?"**_ A low chuckle broke from Michael's throat, stumbling short before they grinned up at the King of Hell.

"Me? Miss you? What ever gave you such a wild idea?" A sly tilt of the head emphasized this question, while a pale hand reached forward in order to seize the Archangel's chin. "Don't make yourself so important, Michael." Lucifer tuts, "At least, not important to _me_. I could care less if you wasted away here or lived happily ever after in Heaven. _But you trespassed, and failed to give me a reason."_

_**"Ah but I did give reason for the purge, Lucifer. You forget that I told you."** _

"A reason, yes, but it was a very poor one, suspicious even." Lucifer argued, "One that I barely believe, actually. God wouldn't just send his feather brain lackeys to purge an entire plain of people who were once his." Michael's eyes twitched as Lucifer's grip tightened, "He may dislike sinners, but he is not _that cruel_. He disowns, he does not order mass murder."

A pause and then Lucifer admitted, "Plus- If he really wanted us dead, he would have taken it into his own hands. A snap of his fingers and Hell would surely be a barren wasteland, and I would be no more. He wouldn't want anyone to suffer."

 ** _"There is distrust in your soul, Lucifer. Do you really think I could lie to you?"_** Blue eyes pierce through the guarded barrier that surrounded Lucifer's soul, and stared into the pits of suspicion and anger that was the man before Michael. **_"Are you not pleased with this truth?"_** They smirk, but wince as Lucifer's claws sink further into their chin.

"My people and I have stayed in Hell, just as he wanted, there is no reason for Him to attack us unprovoked, forgive me if I'm not convinced with by your word alone."

**_"You were told that your Hell was no longer needed!"_**

" _Oh please, He likes watching me suffer down here_ -" Lucifer shakes his head, not believing it, "The overworld will not become the next Hell, if He wanted it to be He would have spoken to me about it. There is _no_ _reason for him to do this secretly._ "

 ** _"Like I would know-"_** Michael tsked, **_"He works in mysterious ways! No one knows His plans."_**

Lucifer's claws dug into the bound being's skin, drawing blood while tearing hopeful scars against their chin, "Don't play coy, _Michael_. Stupid doesn't suit you either. You _will_ tell me what is going on. Why did you attack Hell when we left Heaven alone?"

The room's air tightened, and suddenly the walls were shuddering with the Archangel's rage, but they answer honestly, **_"There is no good in Hell. It does not deserve mercy, not when it only serves to be a cesspool of hatred and sin."_**

"Kind of the point for Hell, to show the bad and evil." Lucifer blinks, a little riled, "Should I not have the freedom to decide for my own creation? Is it not for me to say when Hell is to be destroyed? You have no right attacking what is mine."

**_"God created you to make Hell."_ **

" _Wrong_ \- He disowned me." The other supplied easily, before correcting the flaw " _I_ created Hell, not for God, but for myself, you do not own my territory and he does not get to call himself 'Maker of Hell'. We agreed it is where sinners could go so they could suffer with me, ' _because of my mistakes'_. I agreed because I was bored, not because I wanted to be taught a lesson.-" Snake eyes narrow, and Michael shifts.

_"-Which doesn't make sense if he suddenly wants Hell destroyed, now, does it?"_

**_"Oooh, so scary, brother. Threatening a bound being just because the truth hurts! Oh the humanity~ How dare I hurt thy royal feelings!"_** Michael smiled despite the blood that trailed down their chin, and carefully tilted their head while gazing innocently up at the man. **_"Tell me do you plan on using fire today as well, or are you going to keep holding my face? I would like to know beforehand, burning is not fun when one is unprepared!"_**

"Changing the subject already, Michael?" Lucifer's maw stretched wider with his toothy smile, "Ah-hah, seems like I've prodded the right areas! Tell me, do you enjoy killing sinners?"

A brow lifted and Michael answered without thinking, **_"Of course not, Lucifer. But orders are orders, I intend to follow."_**

"Good answer, God surely hates it when His soldiers admit to enjoying killing damned souls."

 ** _"You asked the question. I answered..Can I go yet?"_** Michael batted their eyes, but frowned with his jest was met with silence.

Lucifer then drew closer, yellow optics baring hotly into Michael's steel, "Tell me, just what _did_ God said when he gave you the orders to attack."

Something churned in the Archangel's gaze, and in seconds a horror sank into the depths of shining blue. Their muscles locked, before rippling painfully as Michael _visibly_ held themselves back from something out of their power. Untainted wings shuddered violently as they strained against their bindings, and as the moments drew into minutes, Lucifer bore witness to a pain Archangels could actually feel.

_Holding back the truth._

Amusing as the idea was, it was damn near impossible for them to lie without exhausting themselves to near unconsciousness.

Lucifer grinned and awaited for either the truth to be spat, or a lie to fumble out, but when Michael suddenly slumped over in exhaustion Lucifer couldn't help but think that they've finally run themselves dry.

Clasping their chin once more, Lucifer angled their head back up in order to look into Michael's eyes.

" _Well_?"

The Archangel shook their head, freeing it from the other's hold, before inhaling sharply as their body slackened, **_"I cannot give you the answer you seek, Lucifer."_** Michael croaked, **_"Lying won't satisfy you, but my truth is what I have said before."_** They insist, _**"What would I gain from deceiving you, brother? Satisfaction? The giddiness you sinners get?!"**_ Blue eyes burn woefully as Lucifer scowls, **_"Our orders came from God."_**

"What did he say to you when he ordered the attack on Hell?" Lucifer demands, and Michael's body feels like a bag of bricks.

**_"'We were to sever off the paths to Hell by destroying them, for the Day of Reckoning is coming and the purpose Hell serves no longer matters to my creations.'"_ **

_"'Sever the paths to Hell?'"_

_**"His words not mine."** _

Lucifer watched Michael for a long, quiet, moment, staring into their soul as they did to his.

And he nearly grinned when seeing it twitch anxiously under his scrutiny.

_"It seems I have found the culprit, don't you think?"_

**_"What is that supposed to mean, Lucifer?! Our Father said to destroy Hell! He wanted us to destroy Hell!"_ **

"Oh please, Michael! He wanted you _to destroy the pathways to Hell._ If you think for one measly second that I actually believe you're _stupid enough to screw that order up._ Then you've never known me Michael." Lucifer repaired, cool as ever, "This was intentional, wasn't it?

Michael paused, a scowl taking their face, even considering the chance to lie sent tremors of guilt and nausea into their stomach.

_**"..Yes."** _

Lucifer _grinned. Victoriously almost._

_He had gotten the answer he wished for._

_Finally!_

There was no struggling when the Archangel admitted their answer, but when Lucifer began to move off back to the sides a panic severed through the holy being as his palm attached itself to the chains that held Michael down.

Michael strained to keep their eyes on the other, their distress clear when seeing the chains begin to glow, **_"You should free me. I am at God's mercy, not yours."_**

"For once we agree." A pale hand settles on the heavy chains, and suddenly runes filter through the air, "But you are staying here until I am granted an audience with Him. You will receive nothing, and you will rot here until I am called. These bindings will stay until I give them permission to break."

_**"Lucifer you cannot just-"** _

"That's quite enough. I've known from the beginning that this purge in Hell was questionable, I needed proof however. _But to think you would do such a thing_ -" Lucifer smirked over towards the glaring face of the Archangel, "-it's almost funny to see on of God's most trusted family members disobeying a direct order!" Light blonde hair was tousled when the demonic being shook his head, "You will be safe here. No torture will come your way, and I will only take enough energy to keep you contained. _No angels will be harmed by me as we wait._ That is the deal I made with the lesser angels in order to get their help, messengers will be sent to Heaven when I report this and once my meeting with God has finished you will be released so he can have his way with you."

Michael perked upon hearing that their siblings were apart of this, by influence of a deal nonetheless!

**_"You forced them to take part?!"_ **

The room once again was quaking from the tampered rage of a chained Archangel.

"No. Of course not. I don't force things upon people. They were suspicious of the orders as well." Lucifer grinned, drawing closer in order to pat Michael on their shoulder,

_"Not as slick as you thought you were, eh old friend?"_

Silence graced his ears and Lucifer went as far as to chuckle at the guilt that poured from Michael's frame, "Oh well, I guess!" The smaller male shrugged cockily, checking his pocket watch once more as he stepped away from the Archangel, "Oo- would you. Look. At. That! It's already six! You're going to make me late for dinner! Such a shame- I love watching you wallow in guilt like this-" 

Alice blue draped Lucifer's being as he reached back to grab his hat and suit jacket, and the seering glare that burned into the back of the King of Hell's suit did not go unnoticed as he glanced back to smile at the other, "Such is life, Michael! I cannot wait to see you suffer for the deaths of my citizens!" Lucifer waltzed back to the door, tipping his hat teasingly as he broke Michael's line of sight.

Gripping the handle to the metal door, yellow optics flicker back and linger on the giant creature that was slumped over in the middle of the room, the buzz of excitement not yet leaving his body nor his voice as he bid the other adieu.

"Enjoy the rest of your stay in Hell!"

And like that Lucifer had successfully taken another step closer to his end goals.

Peaceful life in Hell, free of God's judgmental stare.

_And free reign over the Overworld's transformation._

* * *

Lucifer when he enters Michael's holding chamber.

Lmao I _wheezed_ when my brain conjured this image xD


	19. Seeker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeker? I hardly knew her! HA- I'm not funny.  
> Anyways, sorry for the wait on this one guys, I'm trying to get back into the groove with a different story of mine, as well as balancing this one out; and, well, my brain died while doing that so I needed to step back for a bit! Also RadioDust week happened and I wanted to take a look for inspiration as well. 
> 
> I can proudly admit that I'm considering a 'Miss Congeniality' Crossover for Angel Dust and Alastor, literally no shame for that xD
> 
> OH ALSO- Your author is a complete muffin head! One of the commenters, thank you kind human, but a mistake in Chapter 17 'Thumb Twiddlers' was pointed out! I'd like to say that Lucifer is not a common angel like I addressed him to be! He's a seraphim(or seraph), which is literally the rank under God himself, so now he'll be treated like there's alot more 'oomph' to his powers! This also means that getting Angel and Alastor back into the underworld has becoming ten times more interesting- and I do oh so love a challenge :D

* * *

_"Charlie!"_

_Dark eyes were lifted from their spot grazing over a small paragraph of words, a polite and patient smile cracking across her face as she was met with Angel Dust hanging upside-down from the ceiling. Black tendrils were suspending him up, locked tightly around his lower half while his four arms just dangled uselessly by his head, his fur had taken to something a little flusher-- as the blood rushing to his head was starting to affect his actual coloring now-- while he looked incredibly irritated and embarrassed._

_"Hi!" Charlie waved lightly, shifting on the bar stool and bending the book page in order to mark her place. "Having fun?" There was a sparkle in her eyes that did not blow over Angel's head, the spider narrowed his eyes just a touch offended at the lack of worry for his current trapped state._

_"Fuckin'.. No! I am not!" He strains against the black bindings, which only tighten further the more he squirms, "Tell that Pop-tart over there ta let me go! And then tell your girlfriend to stop antagonizing him so he'll stop thinking it's me!"_

_"It's unwise to blame someone else for your faults." From across the room, standing by the stove, Alastor quips naturally--all the amused by the sudden shift in Angel's mood. "I would have thought you'd of learned this lesson by now, my dear! Being here for over five months has taught you nothing; for shame Angel Dust!" It was a prod, nothing malicious, but sarcastic all the way._

_Angel Dust was the only one who didn't take it as a joke._

_"Shut the fuck up, Smiles--as soon as I get down from here I'm shoving that fuckin' microphone up yer ass!"_

_His threat is met with aloof laughter, obviously Alastor wasn't taking him seriously._

_"What a charmer!" The grinning fiend comments, craning back to note Charlie's expression. He took great pleasure in seeing her almost just as amused as he was, but was a little surprised when the younger demon set the novel she was reading aside, "Alright, boys." Her head rest softly in her interlocked fingers as she watches Angel straining to pin the other man with a withering glare, "I saw everything that happened, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed that you'd lie Angel."_

_"But I-" Magenta eyes blow wide at her stern tone, something akin to a guilty child's expression crossing his features as he swayed back and forth from the momentum of turning back around so quickly._

_However, Charlie was quick to stop him as she looked to the door towards the staff room, "I am more shocked that you managed to get Vaggie to help you."_

_Even Alastor was a little stunned at that. But his eyes quickly crinkled as he broke into laughter, just as the guilty moth demon peeked her head through the door. "I did nothing Charlie!" Vaggie's face was smug, and her voice was laced with feigned innocence._

_"Uh-huh, sure you didn't." The blonde tsked, rolling her eyes as she looked back to Angel's pouting face, "Al, you can let him go now."_

_Angel all but dropped to floor in a muddled heap of limbs._

_"What were you two even trying to do?" Charlie questions, looking over the counter as Angel groans painfully. Vaggie smirks at his noise, but walks through the kitchen confidently--trying not to play into the scheme as Alastor shoots her a suspicious glance over his shoulder. "We made a little bet." Vaggie explained, "Angel failed the first round-" She hefts herself on the counter, the one adjacent to the one Charlie's sat at, crossing her legs 'Indian style', as Angel weakly braces against the granite counter top. "S'his fault anyway, should of known Alastor would've had eyes in the back of his head!~" Vaggie says in a sing-song tone, and Charlie smiles as her lover enjoys herself._

_"You said the shadow thing was gone!" Angel protests, glaring darkly at the girl as she takes a swallow from her steaming mug of coffee, "He is gone." Vaggie objects, "I literally just said 'Alastor has eyes in the back of his head."_

_"Not gone." Husk, from his secluded corner, calls out; a mug of his own settled in his clawed hand while Alastor's shadow peered curiously inside of it, "Just starin' at me for some fuckin' reason.." Amber eyes squinted awkwardly at the dark creature, but it made no move to leave._

_"Wait- Husk did you put alcohol in your coffee?" Charlie questions, her brows dipping down for just a second as the tom looks over at her, slightly taken off guard as the shadow sat back on it's haunches. --The damn thing looked proud of itself as it tattled on the cat--_

_"...No."_

_Nifty, who was sitting in the chair opposite to Husk, nods subtly, outs him easily as she sews up a rip in one of Charlie's suit jackets. Husk gives the smaller demon a betrayed stare and Charlie counters his look with a disapproving one, but before she can say something Angel suddenly lets out an irritated cry._

_"Well then what the fuck am I supposed to do?! Jump on his back and hope for the best?!"_ _Vaggie raises a brow and Angel makes an exasperated gesture._ _"Whateva, fuck off." He huffs, "Not even a fair pairing since you get the girl who'd literally roll over for you!"_ _The female just sticks her tongue out at him._

_"Okay-Okay-Okay." Charlie is far to interested in this now, "What's this about? What bet did you two make?"_

_"We had the names of the staff in a hat, everyone but Angel and I." Vaggie explains, "The bet was we draw and whoever we get we have to sneak up behind the person and put their hair up in a successful ponytail or bun. We get unlimited tries but if we're noticed, stopped, or if they get away from us, we fail. Winner gets a favor from the loser."_

_"My first try was a fail, but I've got this- You just have to keep your Vaggie senses tingling! Please?" Angel gets his sentence out, squinting challengingly at the man by the stove, who had one ear back and locked onto his form, while readjusting the band around his wrist._

_Charlie raised a brow, her gaze flicking to Vaggie, "Have you tried yet?"_

_The moth demon nods into her cup, smiling weakly, "Several times. You kept turning around last second. And even if I started I would have to get your hair out of your ponytail before I fixed it up into a new one-- So I'm at a disadvantage too!" She adds the last part in loudly, and is mocked by Angel's hand puppet as it copies her words silently. Charlie giggles and gets to her feet, "Well now that Alastor and I know, there's no way we're gonna let it happen now!"_

_Angel, who was in the middle of sneaking back up to The Radio Demon, suddenly paused and brightened, "Oh-OH! Hey! I got a way to make this a little more doable!"_

_Vaggie blinked at him, taking another long drag from her cup._

_"Charlie take your hair down." Angel requests, and the blonde does so without complaint. Wavy locks drop against her back and she watches interested as Angel Dust turns to Alastor-- though she keeps a good eye on Vaggie as something glints in her lover's eyes. "Now, Smiles-"_

_"My hair wasn't up in the first place." Alastor responds instantly, watching the frying pan as he scrubs the spatula around the sides of the batter. By now the room has refilled with the soft tunes of Jazz music, not that anyone cares--at this point it would be strange for a room Alastor occupies to not have music playing inside of it._

_"I know that, smartass, you're not allowed to use your voodoo magic shit to stop me. You and Charlie'll be on level playing ground- and Vaggie and I won't have such a terrible time trying to catch you." Angel insists, walking closer with his arms up in surrender--making it obvious that he wasn't going to make another attempt any time soon--_ _"Plus it's not like you'll hafta submit- you can still fight us off when we get close! If you notice us then our turn is over anyways."_

_"I will not be held accountable when you leave with a broken arm." Alastor warns, the threat up in the air but he wasn't disagreeing. This was amusing to watch._

_Vaggie agrees, but only when Charlie nods her own, this needs to be a conjoined agreement after all!_

_"Yes! Watch yer ass Smiles, I'm comin' for it!"_

_"Please, never say that sentence again." Alastor requests, ear twitching as Angel started to grab a number of plates and cups from the cupboards, as he piled another pair of pancakes onto a nearby plate before starting on a new one. At this point breakfast would be finished soon, and with the spider's help everyone's plate would be ready to take without self preparation. "Awe what's the matta, Smiles?" Angel coos, eyeing a stain on one of the plates cautiously, before winking suggestively at the deer demon, "Don't like me staring?"_

_"I don't like the acknowledgement of your liking of my backside." Alastor admits without hesitance._

_"What? Any person can say that you got a nice ass! Bonus with the tail, of course." The taller male looked back at the others and grimaced for a second, "Okay- maybe not the lesbians, but you know Husky, Nifty, and I would always say it." "I fuckin' wouldn't." Husk is quick to abolish the thought, though Alastor adds his two cents_ _"I'd appreciate no one saying it."_

_"But don't it make you feel all good about yourself? You love all the attention being on you!" Angel objects, just being playful at this point even as Alastor flicks a pinch of batter his way._

_"When I want the attention, trust me, you'll know. As of now I'm quite content with watching you make a fool of yourself." Crimson eyes spark with humor as Angel sticks his tongue out, "Careful dear, you're sure to lose that if you tease!" His yellow stained maw bares and Angel wastes no time in hiding his tongue before Alastor can get a lucky grab._

_It's happened before, there's no telling if it'll happen again--and Angel really doesn't want to lose his tongue again._

_But that didn't stop him from snarking back, of course._

_"Don't make me beg for it babe, you know I like it rough~"_

_Charlie couldn't stop the smile that took her face, the joy that swarmed her being-- even as Alastor's hand shot out to stop Angel's advancing one, it ripped a girly scream out of the spider, and a cackling laugh out of her lover-- Charlie was just...happy in this moment._

_Where this happiness came from, or where it would go when the coming days soon knocked on the Hotel's doorstep; Charlie guessed she'd never know._

_She just knew that these people, t_ _hey had a hold on her. They were close, they cared, they were important. They'd kill for her and she'd damn well do the same._

_It was like..._

_It was like they were.._

_Family?_

* * *

A pang of pain burns through Charlie's person as the memory fades from her mind, it left a sore spot in it's wake but the bittersweet memories were worth the pain.

Though it made her miss the two missing members of her group, she couldn't help but smile as she remembered Angel's explosive victory when Alastor had 'failed' to notice his approach. The spider had been so happy that day, and just remembering his smile gave Charlie hope that they were still out there somewhere. There hadn't been any bodies, no heavy traces of their blood on the floor, no residue of them being smitten.

So there _was_ a chance of them being alive.

When night befell Hell, it was only a matter of time before Charlotte Magne was on the move. Her brain on a single track lane as she was nearly desperate for the answer to her curiosity and eagerness.

Charlie knew that doing this by herself wasn't going to be pleasant. The sheer grief of seeing the scene the first time, even with Vaggie's company, was like a hot knife to her stomach. Just knowing that an angel had been under their noses this entire time was frightening, but thinking that it had taken Alastor and Angel Dust from her..that was far scarier than anything Charlie has ever seen or felt.

And she's stared an Archangel in the eyes before!

Charlie kept her dreadful pace up the final flight of stairs, her muscles burned at the lack of rest but her mind was buzzing with determination to find more clues that could've slipped through her grasp upon first glance. She didn't want Vaggie there with her tonight, the girl had been left to sleep in the lobby for her own good, as being coddled every five seconds would be counter productive-- even if Charlie loved the moth demon to the ends of Hell and back, this was going to have to be a solo mission Charlie would have to soldier through by herself.

Back up wasn't really necessary either, if Charlie was being honest-- _she was the Princess of Hell._ If she were to be attacked, Charlie could just..

The blonde looked pensively down at her hands. A mocking image of the fists engulfed with waves of Hellfire, _an explosion aching to be released_.

 _She could hold her own_ , she decided.

Kill if she had to--she's done it before, she can do it again, for the sake of the hotel and her friends she'd do it.

Something bitter settled itself inside of Charlie's person, making a cozy home inside, despite her better judgement, as she paused at the final step of the stairs. _It wouldn't come to that_. She dismissed easily, dark eyes flickering to the window that overlooked city. There were no other angelic beings close to the hotel, at least not from what Charlie could tell-- the angels were probably watching elsewhere, ready to ambush sinners...or maybe they've already retreated up to Heaven..

No one really knew where the angels were.

Well..

There _had been_ one in the hotel, but surely it was just the one.

She guessed the seal was all for nothing, especially now that Alastor was gone. It didn't help keep the angel out, even with Alastor's help, so Charlie just let the damn thing shatter when she realized his powers no longer mixed with her own. Whether by death or other 'Heaven' like means, Alastor was off this plain of existence for all Charlie knew, and so was Angel.

Which led her to the now. Charlie _needed_ to know if the angel did something that caused their sudden disappearance, or if it caused their death.

Blonde hair gently swayed as Charlie halted in front of the dreaded door, the one that led into the ruined suite, a conscious effort being made to keep herself collected as she reached for the round doorknob.

The room was dark as she entered, the door croaking eerily, the stench of blood and death swirling around her nose in such a different tang that the room almost didn't smell like it belonged to Hell.

It made her skin crawl, her head spin, and her blood boil--all at the same time.

She noted the body of the dead angel still lying where she last saw it, mangled and ripped open for it's innards to spill freely, feathers splayed sporadically around it's lifeless form. With the gentle tap of her shoes, Charlie steeled herself to the carnage--as she's done thousands of times before-- and halts her steps right next to the angel. Her eyes made it easy to see through the pitch black of the room, their yellow tinted color piercing through the dark as she stared softly at the dead being.

She then took a knee beside the carcass; being careful to stay quiet, to be respectful, to take extreme care into what she was doing. 

It's placed beside the wrecked furniture, surrounded by splinters of wood and small droplets of blood and gore that Charlie _swears_ smells like Angel Dust. Tufts of fur surround the broken wood, ripped off during what the girl can only imagine as the heat of battle, nestled into the splinters that litter the small living area. The furniture is bent and broken in such an angle that the attack couldn't of happened if Angel had been standing by the door.

Charlie realizes that the spider demon must've gotten in the way. That he wasn't the target that the angel was after.

It makes her attention draw back as she reminds herself of the Devil's Trap Vaggie had pointed out before. How the once lethal snare was burned into nothing but buzzing magic, magic that could do nothing but tingle one's flesh upon entering. Obviously Alastor been the one in it, seeing as Angel had no magical origins, and the only way for it to be broken--instead of dispelled-- was for it to be destroyed from the inside.

It's quite possible that the man used most of his energy to break through..

Could that of been the reason for their sudden going away? Because Alastor's magic became so weak and desperate to escape? Was it possible that Alastor had just teleported himself, and Angel, away and just couldn't get themselves back?

Charlie's eyes narrowed just a touch as she turns to investigate the Devil's Trap further. Spinning on her heels she tentatively reached a hand into the dastardly circle. It's tainted magic creeps around her arm and vibrates--nothing more, nothing less-- it's power having been reduced to nothing but harmless goosebumps. Carefully, Charlie angles her hand up in favor to see the dark puddle of gore on the ground that stained the middle of the trap.

It was black blood. Something Charlie could easily pinpoint as Alastor's, as the man's insides were filled with so much darkness that there probably was nothing left _but_ the black bile Eldritch magic injects.

But had Alastor been able to get himself out alone? Charlie wondered. Brows furrowing she carefully stabbed a fingernail into her palm-- her brain registered the pain, but no wound came as she opened her hand. It dawns on the girl quickly that a prayer had been used on the trap and Charlie inwardly hugs her father for warning, and teaching, her about these types of traps back when she was younger. Lucifer may not have been enthusiastic about her dreams, but the man still wanted his daughter to be safe.

A Devil's Trap was certainly not safe-- especially one with the prayer of no self harm. Something like that would definitely stop Alastor from doing anything, so the angel must've planned this from the start. They must've known that Alastor's main source of magic was via blood sacrifice; if he couldn't produce blood, he was practically useless despite his physical attributes.

A prayer for the magic, and the positioning of the Devil's Trap had been clever. Keeping the man on a single lane in order to get to the middle of the room. He was a sitting duck without cover, and it left every side of him open, so he couldn't defend himself fully-- had Angel Dust not been there...

Alastor could have died.

Charlie then pauses on this. Her inspection of the room rising suspicion as she looked back at the corpse.

_Had the angel sought out Alastor, and him alone?_

_It made sense, yes-- Alastor was a extremely strong force for Hell, but surely he wasn't a necessity to destroy? Was it someone who had a vendetta against him during life? Or was it just another soldier during their job to slaughter Hell's people? The entire situation was just so crazy, that Charlie hadn't the faintest clue as to why they would want Alastor of all peo-_

_And then it clicked._

The Archangel..

Charlie nearly gasped as her mind supplied her with the memory of Alastor explaining himself for rushing off towards the palace in order to help her father. _How he killed a common angel, and vanished an Archangel alongside the armada of Executioners that were stationed in Hell._

Was that what this was about?

_Revenge_?

Did an Archangel _seriously_ want Alastor dead because he managed to take them off guard?

Charlie nearly scoffed at the thought, _surely angels weren't that petty-- to go after a man that..._

_..Okay..maybe they were after Alastor, he has killed a lot of Executioners, and has now slaughtered two common angels, ...and stopped an Archangel, ... **and vanished the armada sent to Hell.**_

..Alastor may have a price on his head..

Or _had_ a price on his head.

Charlie retracts her hand from the Devil's Trap, unsure of how to deal with these new thoughts as she tilted back to settle on her ankles. All she wanted was the answers to her friend's well-beings, was that such a hard thing to ask for? She could care less if the questions for Hell's current state were answered, she just wanted to know if her family was still alive!

A pale hand reached up to drag through her frazzled hair, scratching at her scalp as she finally released the disappointed sigh that had been catching in her throat for the past few minutes.

No leads, as she feared. Well..no _real_ leads that is.

If this was the Archangel's doing, there wasn't much Charlie could do. She didn't know where they were, or how to contact them-- and if she was being truly honest, she wasn't sure if the Archangel was actually behind the disappearances of Angel and Alastor.--

Then again, she didn't really know the Archangel's deal.

Charlie had no idea what the Archangel wanted, whether it was something to do with her or not, she hadn't the faintest damn clue.

Part of her wondered that, because she was Lucifer's daughter, she was somehow important to Heaven. That something inside of her brought forward Heaven's interests, and that she was to blame for Hell's destruction. Of course she wasn't sure herself. She's always been so aware of her powers, due to the sheer amount of destruction they could cause, but for something that could be used by the angels--or God himself-- she wasn't sure.

Her dad joked about something called the Antichrist, but even he said it was a joke that he's made up. Nothing was stronger than God, even if Lucifer wanted it to be wrong, there was no denying that fact.

Long ago Charlie thought herself as such a being but soon realized that she was in the wrong and that Hell was the worse place for people to be, how could she--a person who wants the betterment of a person to flourish-- be something so hateful and destructive?. In her teen years she wanted so badly to be in Heaven's good graces but it seems, even now, that whatever she does she would never be good enough.

Being Hellborn was absolute torture, but it was her birthright-- _she was tethered to Hell, just like the Imps and Hellhounds, just like her father._

Charlie didn't really want it any differently, now that she thought about it. If Hell was her place to be most effective and helpful, than she'd do her best to ensure the safety and happiness of every being inside of the cesspool of death and pain.

Who knows, maybe it was God's plan for her.

_Still_..

_That didn't really answer the reason as to why the Archangel came to her that day, and openly admitted to basically wanting her to stay safe._

Charlie's eyes narrowed into thinned slits, a headache testing the front of her head. Moving to press the heel of her hand to her forehead, the blonde let herself fall into a thoughtless silence while her eyes slid shut.

"What a pain in the ass." 

Her voice cut through the dark, severing the unbidden tension that had tightened in the air, as she quietly hissed her frustrations to herself. It was a mirthless sentence, produced with a broken breath, that could be considered as an airy laugh, and all around made her feel like absolute shit.

"On that we agree, kid." 

A shrill noise squeals from Charlie as she jumps at the sudden voice, her heart stuttering and her body locked in a painful way. Looking up, and towards the door, she noted Husk's form as he leaned against the door frame. He too looked unfazed by the carnage inside of the room, but he seemed a little worried by the fact that she was up here by herself.

"Husk.." Charlie breathed, finally managing to form words as the tom's amber eyes watch her carefully, "How long have you been there?"

The man crossed his arms, a ear twitching at the question as he shrugged lazily, "Not long. I noticed you sneakin' off and wanted to make sure you weren't plannin' on doing somethin' stupid." Charlie wanted to smile at his grumpy tone, but she paused when she let the sentence click inside her brain, "You weren't asleep?" She questions, embarrassed when Husk shook his head with a sober expression.

"I was on watch. Imagine my surprise when you suddenly left the lobby."

"Oh..well I'm sorry for..doing that.."

"Don't be, you needed to see if you could find somethin' else. I understand." There was a touch of _something_ in the man's gaze, whether it was because he was drunk or not Charlie couldn't tell, but it was gone within seconds as he continued of with a more serious tone of voice.

"There is somethin' you need to know, though. S'back down in the lobby--on the stairs. M'not sure what it is, but it smells like smoke--" 

Amber eyes darken, and Charlie feels her own brighten with unbidden hope.

"--It could be the lead you're lookin' for."

* * *

When they finally made their way back down to the lobby, Charlie was nearly on the verge of breaking out into a full on sprint as Husk paused on the last couple of steps in order to sniff the air. He looked lost for just a minute, before a whiff of whatever he was after found it's way past his nose. There was a catch to his gaze, a spark; something that drew him farther right, as he turned away from Charlie to look down at the steps.

"S'here." He announced, body oddly stiff as he points towards a scuffed mark on the stair case.

Charlie gave the tom an odd look, _His nose was like a fucking bloodhound's--it was crazy!_ But she was quick to round him in order to get a better look. 

It was dark, and hard to make out, even though she had exceptional night vision she could barely make out the mark that the dark floor bore. A tepid movement was made with her hand, a motion that swirled in a small circle and conjured a sharp looking flame into her open palm. A controlled fire that instantly lit the small area up with a warm glow.

Charlie squinted against the light, as did Husk, but she recovered far quicker than the male as she kneeled down to inspect the marks.

They were black against the wood, scarred deeply against the mahogany steps, with shaky outlines that made it look like a child had just taken a piece of coal and drawn till their heart was content. And the smell!-- Husk was right about it-- It was akin to smoke, faint smelling but there; like something had been burned and it had an undertone of something far more foul.

It was something she would leave behind, had she used her own powers. Family heritage and all--Charlie _was_ fire incarnate-- and when she used her powers it always left a scorch mark, even if she didn't want it too. Though she doesn't recall using her magic to do anything lately, well nothing that could've left a mark like this, she's really only used her energy to make the seal with Alastor.

Last time she's seen marks like these was when her father teleported himself out of the hotel, but even so..

Charlie was nearing the verge of frowning as she traced the marks with her index finger, picking up small traces of lingering ash and soot, before her mind settled on one clear thought.

_He hadn't been on the steps when he left._

...

_Had Lucifer teleported something else?_

Yellow eyes, slitted like that of a serpent, darken with suspicion. Lucifer had been acting strange before his abrupt departure, far weirder than normal. He's never excused himself like that, even if he was just as awkward as Charlie could be sometimes, he wouldn't of said anything like that unless it was something urgent. 

How she knew that, you ask? _Well..it's because that's how Charlie would act if she needed to be elsewhere in a hurry but didn't want to seem rude._

But he wouldn't of actually used her mother as an excuse to leave the crime scene..

Had he-..?

No he wouldn't...

Would he..?

Charlie looked up at Husk, her mouth finally curling into a displeased frown as her brain supplied her with the obvious answers,

\--He had. You know he did. He would, don't be daft.--

...

_"Fucking Lucifer."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's emotionally constipated when it comes to family-like relations. I do feel like that will be a trait she'd carry into the canonical series, since they show that her relationship with her mom and dad isn't all that great. And since Hell probably has no place for things such as a 'functional family' Charlie would probably have little, or no, clue as to how family should work. --Which comes her greed for 'Lets have everyone love eachother and be happy!' because that's what she knows about family-- 
> 
> Just a little headcannon, ya know? Tell me whatcha think'a dat, I'd love to hear your guy's opinions.
> 
> Also I struggled real hard with the word smite xD Couldn't figure out if I should use smitten or smited or smote cause none of 'em sounded right lmao.


	20. Delinquents, and Evil Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's taken so long, I've been working on an edit for my older story (Which is now on AO3, if you wanna check it out, it's an Attack on Titan and Warrior Cat Crossover) and it's taken me far longer than I wanted to finish.
> 
> Your author is still very much incompetent with chapters, but you know what? At least I'm managing to produce chapters lmao!  
> Also like-- half of the Eldritch stuff I pulled out of my ass because I have no idea how any of that works, and I'm not entirely sure I wanna know, so yeah lmao.
> 
> Anyways this one hurt my brain, and is more of a lighthearted chapter than anything, enjoy :D
> 
> Let's see how Angel and Alastor are doing.

* * *

Had anyone ever told Angel Dust that he'd willingly allow the Radio Demon to use him as an experiment to see into the freakish, unknown, mysteries that revolve around Eldritch bullshit and Voodoo; Angel wouldn't shot them in the face then and there and called their corpse stupid. There was _no way_ ( _in Hell)_ that Angel would _ever_ let Alastor touch him with the glowing green shit- no way, no how, he didn't even want to know that it existed!

But..

_This wasn't Hell. This was the overworld._

_And,_

Alastor _technically_ wasn't the Radio Demon in the overworld-- _I mean he was a demon that sounded like a radio..but that was it_ \--

_And,_

_Any chance of normality depended on whether or not Angel could receive Eldritch magics from old spirits, and lesser gods._

It was an incredibly harsh pressure to be put under, but Alastor was bound and determined to find some way to get him the powers he needed in order to cross back to Hell. A rough process to be put through, to say the least, that was slowly eating away at the stupid hope Charlie had instilled into Angel's being so long ago; even if Alastor's flare and stubbornness on not knowing when to throw in the towel was reassuring, Angel was starting to gas out. 

A month of this shit, and nothing they've done has worked!

It's demoralizing, and it hurts to know that they're at the bottom of the barrel with their ideas.

But somehow, _miraculously_ , Alastor has managed to pick up the pieces where he was starting to falter; all the times Angel was there to brighten the mood, and to encourage the other to keep going, Alastor was now doing the same whenever Angel began to frustrate. They were struggling, that enough was clear, but they were balancing out each other enough to make it bearable.

The notion was appreciated, and endearing at the same time. Angel can't help but appreciate Alastor when the going gets tough, the man is contagious with his good moods and headstrong tendencies--but it's a good kind of stubborn. And he never lets Angel fall too deep when the spider demon starts to think that all they're doing is for nothing, even if it's staged or not, Alastor was desperate to keep the other in good spirits as they fought to hurdle this damnable wall they've found themselves stuck on.

..But _this_...

...

_This was just a little strange, compared to the other things Alastor has been prone to do over their time together._

...

Magenta eyes squint as a flow of green smoke trails from one of the vacant rooms, trailing with hints of black and a frustrated buzz of static that followed right after. Closing his book softly, Angel let out a quiet breath before lifting his head and calling out to the man inside the room, “Ya okay in there, Smiles?”

There was a monstrous sounding shriek that bellowed from inside the room, a noise that was tuned out with a static warning that made Angel’s hair fur on end. Sitting up, it took almost everything in the spider demon to stay upright as the house suddenly shuddered in a violent display of olden magic. Something Angel, thanks to the magic lessons Alastor has made him slug through, has learned to decipher and see over the past month.

_“All is well!”_

Alastor’s voice chirps through the snarl of the creature he had chained within the room, and though everything that led up to his response screamed to Angel that ‘All was not well’, the spider found himself sitting back as a wet squelch and a heavy clank of something metal hitting wood sounded out.

Static leveled through the air, and throbbed in Angel’s ears as it hummed with energetic life, the noise made his muscles relax from their fight ready positions and in a bout of exasperation Angel flops back against the couch and watches the doorway as shrill squeals echoed from deep within. Finding it easier to just stare and wait for Alastor to come out.

And it's not a long wait either.

Smothering the rising curiosity, Angel breaks his scrutiny when Alastor pokes his head from the doorway. A smile took his face, welcoming the other brightly--as usually the red demon’s mood was busted and defeated whenever summonings failed to work, and the encouraging expressions Angel could muster was always enough to spark his determination again-- this had been one of many, _many,_ tries to summon one of the spirits Alastor's talked about before; and Angel was almost sure that it hadn't worked again.

But it seems today his smile wasn’t needed.

Alastor was ecstatic when Angel took actual notice, and upon closer inspection-- _he was covered in black sludge._

“Al?” The grinning maw of yellow teeth only curled further when it caught the uncertainty Angel exposed. This wasn't an ordinary ' _I'm happy to see you smile_ ' this was a fucking _Alastor_ smile, this was deceptive and conniving-- _he was up to something--_ , and Angel refused to be the butt of another joke. Alastor tilted his head in an innocent manner, obviously so, and blinked in some semblance of passiveness as Angel very nearly grimaced as some of the sludge puddled on the floor. “.. _Why_ are ya covered in muck?”

The nasty fluid dripped from his red hair, spraying haphazardly as the elder demon shook his head, “Not _‘muck’,_ my dear.” Alastor corrects quickly, radio stations changing in a flurry as his brightened mood shines through his cracking facade, “ _Progress!_ ” He steps out from peeking from the door frame, standing strong on his fully healed legs, while grinning broadly at the other man.

“ _Progress_ ..” Angel echoes, setting his book aside as Alastor removes himself from the other room entirely, and strides over to him with hands hidden behind his back. It would have been a welcoming action, something Angel would've enjoyed watching, but this man was plotting something--Angel could fucking see it in his eyes! Alastor hasn't been this cheery in a while; the only time Angel, actually saw him look genuinely happy, since they're banishment, was when the spider demon tried to dive into the snow and got his face smashed in by ice.

Turns out snow in the south doesn't usually retain it's fluffy nature. It usually ices over and becomes a second Hell.

That hadn't been pleasant, but Alastor's laugh was worth the few minutes of pain Angel had to endure. (Plus Angel got his revenge by clocking him in the face with a muddy snowball, _now that had been funny_.)

“And what does ‘ _progress_ ’ mean in your mind?-” Angel inhales as he speaks, and nearly regrets doing so as a foul stench slams against his senses, “ _Oh my- Shit! What the fuck did you roll in?!”_

A distorted audience of laughter bellows from Alastor as he looses his own chuckle; Angel cant help but gawk as the elder demon finds humor in his disgust towards the smell but he can't bring himself to tell the other off, because it's been far too long since he's seen Alastor enjoy himself like this. 

After recovering one of his scorched clawed digits, that of which was still dripping with the gunk, reached up to make a show of wiping away the nonexistent tears that had dared to plague the corners of his eyes. Of course doing that only managed to smudge more of the fluid on Alastor, but it didn't look like he was bothered by it,

“Ah yes, the foul stench of progress and hard work! After a exhausting month of this, it seems as though things are starting to look up for us!” One of his ears twitched as he spoke flicking off droplets of the nasty fluid that he drenched himself in, and Angel grimaced as it hit the wall with an unnaturally loud squelch. 

"They..are?" The spider questioned after a moment, his mismatched eyes squinting when Alastor looking ready to burst with excitement. "Yes indeedy!" The radio tin distorted his voice for a second, and Angel resisted the urge to wince as it's thrum hit one of it's higher pitches, but Alastor was quick to ease the noise and calm himself. He suddenly moves quickly and before Angel can process what's going on there's a very _nasty_ looking blob, cradled in Alastor's hands, that was shoved his direction.

Angel finds himself sinking back into the cushions of the couch as Alastor holds the thing right in his face, it's hard to distinguish the actual shape of it, but the only thing Angel cares about is that it smells of _proper shit_. Leaning back to glare at the gunk covered 'treasure' Alastor is holding, Angel has half a mind to tell the man to throw it outside--

But when the thing _fucking_ _moves_ the spider demon all but throws himself out of his seat and creates enough distance between himself, Alastor, and whatever _creature_ he decided to bring into the world.

The reaction amuses Alastor greatly and he watches flippantly as Angel dives over the couch, hits the ground with a loud _thud,_ and points one of his fingers accusingly at the blob, "What the fuck, Smiles?! What is that thing?!" His voice reaches an embarrassingly high pitch, but Angel can't be bothered with meaningless pride as Alastor turns to face him fully,

"Ya tryin' to have that thing lay eggs in my head-! _Hey! Don't ya fuckin' come over here with that- ya- ..ya..-"_ Alastor stops short by the arm of the couch, hands still holding the blob out in an inviting manner, and the noise that leaves Angel as he struggles to maintain distance is something he wishes he could rid his memory of. " _Smiles_ , _I'm gonna fuckin' hurtcha, do not come near me with that nasty creature!"_

This situation has happened before, several times actually; the first time was an complete accident where Alastor had tried to recreate his Shadow-- but instead of giving life to a loyal companion, he made a spider hungry monster that chased after Angel for the better part of two hours. The second time had just been a nasty wake up trick where Alastor had put a shadow that draped over Angel's face, and every so often would twitch in order to recreate the 'face hugging' alien monster Angel hated so much (Alastor laughed really hard at that too).

There's a mischievous spark that twinkles in those damnable crimson optics, it forms fully as he halts his steps to round the couch, but it simmers out just before Angel can snap at him for it. 

"It's just a heart!"

" _A heart..?"_ Angel gawks, stepping back when Alastor extends his hands out to show the organ off proudly "Why the fu- _Where the hell did you find a heart_?"

Alastor has the audacity to falter, his grin thinning into a confused smile, "In a body?"

"I-" Angel pauses at the response, his mouth stuttering to form words as he stares dumbfounded at the red demon. There's a solid few seconds of silence as both men stare at each other, but it's cut short when Angel composes himself with a nipping retort, "I know where hearts come from, Smiles. I was asking how you got that one in general." He rephrases, still keeping the distance between himself and the disconnected, _living_ , _beating_ organ.

"Oh," Alastor looks down at the heart and his grin returns full force, "right! I managed to summon one of the lower class Loa. Apparently they've been starved of a large portion of their energies; I'm assuming that whatever Hell is going through it's putting a strain on the Eldritch magic, the lesser spirits can't get the easy meals like they're used to, so now they're vulnerable and desperate for sustenance."

He shifts the heart into his right hand, claws curling around it to secure it gently, while he gestured to himself with his left, "Weakened Loa, ancient spirits, are very easy to deceive when they're hungry. One misstep and they fall into a little thing called a trap." Angel is not amused by the way Alastor explains his scheme, but he listens nonetheless, "The Devil's Trap is a dangerous weapon, even to beings branched off of Hell's natural species! One step and you're trapped until you break yourself free-- or you are freed, whichever one."

"So how did ya manage to get one of their hearts? I thought you said that most of these things were strong as shit."

"Weakened ones are just vulnerable enough for me to take on." Alastor explains, "And they're not particularly strong, some are," He agrees halfheartedly,"but most aren't, they're more..allusive and precise; it's what makes them so dangerous, the sneaky devils." Angel's mouth formed a small smile as Alastor shot a humored glare down towards the heart in his hand. 

Angel though, now knowing that the blob wasn't a Eldritch abomination that was going to attempt to murder him--again--, steps closer to set his hand atop the organ. Alastor has told him, during their first few weeks in, that even though the energy is mostly used for dark magic there is little bits of wandering life that beats within them; he wasn't wrong too! The heart squirmed under his touch, but it thrummed with life and energy--even though it's host was lying dead in the room next down the hall.

There's a string of energy, of magic, that sinks into Angel's flesh-- it takes him off guard, just for a moment, as it eagerly searches out the potential strength his body holds. It leaves his arm tingling-- and oddly enough his stomach begins to twist with something akin to nervous butterflies."I'm still surprised you managed to get one.."

The red demon managed an exasperated roll of his eyes, and Angel feels strangely faint as Alastor lifts free hand in order to pat his own in a good-natured fashion, "I'm happy to see you have this endless amount of faith in my abilities, Angel. Truly I am." The sarcastic comment is leaking with fake appreciation, but Angel knows there's no malice that follows. "It was a pleasant mistake on the spirit's part!" He admits, "A one in a million chance, really. We got lucky."

"One of these days our luck's gonna run dry, you know." Angel responds, half listening as the fluttering feeling tightens and seeps into his chest; it's started to hurt, but it's intriguing. "We can't just keep hoping for things to come our way."

"That's all we're capable of doing right now, my dear." Alastor reasons, ears twitching lightly--still stained with the sludge, mind you-- "We found you a path into the Eldritch arts," His claws tighten slightly around the heart and Angel's hand, it sends vibrations through the spider demon's arm but Alastor has his full attention now, "It's going to be a rough start, as this is a lower classed Loa, something weaker than normal ones, but if we can keep this streak we can get you ready."

Angel's mouth falls into a thin line, moreso because of the way his stomach knots, but he shakes off the bad feeling and nods, "Right-- _Yeah_ , you're right, gettin' there is all we need to focus on. The gang needs us, it's been a month since we've seen them, and I'm fuckin' terrified about the state a' Hell right now. We need to get back to help them fix whatever this shit is--to get answers." One of his free arm seeks up and sets down on Alastor's forearm, and Angel suddenly looks extremely sure of himself.

"This thing is the first step to getting us _both_ back home. You said it wasn't going to be a good start but it's a fuckin' start, Smiles; and that's all that we need right now."

Alastor's expression twitches into something gentler; and if possible his radio static begins to sync with the rhythmic thuds the heart, between their hands, beats to. It's a show of his fondness, Angel knows this because of how close they've grown, he's watched the man from afar long enough to know the twitches between his moods and emotions, even if his smile is meant to hide all. 

The type of smile was usually important, but Angel has found that the static and radio induced tunes that follow Alastor around speak a thousand words more than his blink and you'll miss it differences in smiling. Angel has cleverly started to call the changes in radio static 'Switches' because of how fast they can occur-- _like a light switch being flicked off!_

Normally, Alastor's static is mulling and contemplative, every so often some music will filter in. But most of the time just it's loud enough for you to know it's there, and soft enough for you to tune it out.

When happy the static blares with Alastor's words and gestures, everything gets louder and more energetic, more music and sound effects, harder to calm too.

When upset or brooding, it's a low thrum of static, gentler changing of stations, and almost no noise. His voice loses most of it's tin and, oddly enough, he starts to sound human.

Rage is easiest to decipher, as is pain-- his static shrieks and roars, sometimes it hits such high pitches that it's obvious that there's pain; the noises that should flow from his mouth are sent out through the static waves-- and they're almost harder to listen too when they wail out. Maybe it's because Angel knows that it's Alastor's..

But..

..This one, out of all of the switches, is something Angel enjoys seeking out..

His focus. Having his full attention was some Angel _loved_ to watch and listen to.

The gentle pulses, and hum of static were lulling and inviting-- as if encouraging the other to say more. It's clear that Alastor loves to talk, but it's become increasingly more obvious that he enjoys listening to others just as much. Angel can't remember the last time Alastor has ever cut someone off mid-sentence, and that's just more proof of how much he likes the sound of other voices. Faint, distorted songs play when he's attentive too; but they're so quiet Angel barely registers their presence.

All of his attention is set on one place, and it's almost endearing to see him so focused.

...

_Angel decides that he likes this switch the most._

...

Of course he doesn't have a long enough second to enjoy the dull hum, or the attention Alastor is casting on him.

Because as soon as he realizes that the switch happened, it's switched right into alarm as Alastor's ears flick towards one of the nearby windows. Body moving and dislodging itself from Angel's hold, as well as the spider's grip on the heart-- his static whirls into something that hisses a warning, but that's not what bothers Angel.

No, what bothers Angel is the sudden _gut_ _wrenching_ pain that sends his stomach into an whirlpool of nausea; it happens when the energy the heart was sending through him was severed, when Alastor turned to look towards the windows. The feeling burns like Hellfire, and singes his insides, but worst of all?

_Something moves inside of him._.

_Something moves, and it feels likes it's clawing it's way out of his stomach and into his chest._

A sharp breath stops short in Angel's throat, and his legs are quick to crumble under the weight of the strike inside his torso; Alastor's attention is wrenched from the windows and his static sharpens with surprise as the spider drops to the floor onto his hands and knees. "Angel?" His voice barks the name, and spider blearily manages to see Alastor as he kneels down in front of him-- _just before his stomach jostles once again_. "What's wrong?" Alastor questions, crimson eyes narrowed as he tries to find the source of the sudden pain.

"My stomach.. it's my fuckin' stomach--" Angel manages to grit out, and Alastor is quick to situate him to where his pale torso is seen. Resting on his back, Angel tries his hardest not to squirm when the red demon pushes his hoodie up to see the damage; but when the fabric is moved, Angel nearly snaps when Alastor visibly falters as an invisible force strikes out and clashes with his own static induced aura. Familiarity flashes in those crimson optics, and it sends Angel spinning as Alastor suddenly brings one of his hands down.

"What? What's are ya doin'-- _Hey_!" A warm palm is placed on Angel's fur covered torso, setting right where his bruises used to be, and Angel blinks dumbly when the pain fades into a dull ache.

Alastor is deathly quiet as he rests his hand on Angel; he wears a troubled look that, unfortunately, sends anxiety plummeting through Angel's bruised insides, "Al..? Talk to me, what the fuck just happened to me!?"

"I.." Crimson eyes glow dimly as energy seeps into Alastor's palm; it feels like it was warding him away, and as to not distress the thing anymore, he slowly retracts his hand, "I think some of _my_ magic stayed in you when I accidentally injured you. I think it forcefully evolved when you touched the heart--"

One of the windows suddenly shatters into pieces, and Alastor is on his feet within seconds--rigid and feral looking as he stares darkly at the broken window.

There's too much going on, and it's happening far too quickly for Angel to keep up with. Weakly he attempts to sit up, just in time to see a rock fly through the broken window and smash against the opposite wall behind him, "Smiles what's goin' on?"

The area around Alastor shudders with visible static, and Angel winces as whatever the fuck inside him responds to the pulse that bares off the red demon; it's obvious he wants to go out and ward off the attacker, but when obnoxious laughter sounds the two demons freeze in surprise. 

_"What dumbass would wanna fix this dump up, anyways?"_ A voice questions, faint to Angel's ears but ringing clearly in Alastor's, _"Just a bunch of wasted time and energy-"_ There's a strained noise, before a sharp expelling breath, as another rock collides with the top half of the broken window.

Alastor's being shudders violently again, before his frame drops to the ground engulfed in shadows. Angel watches quietly as he slinks up towards the window in order to peer out, and his heart nearly drops when a sharp cry sounds from outside. "Al! Get the fuck back here!"

" _Freddy_! _"_ It's a shriller voice that enters the two demons ears now, _"There's a light on, what if someone's home?"_

_"If someone was home they'd of come to chase us off already, Charlie. Don't get your panties in a twist."_

_"Ha-Ha, Good one Fred!"_ Another one chortles.

_"Shut up, Sid. No one asked for your input."_

Alastor drew back as another rock was chucked at the window, holding back a snarl as he slithered back to Angel, and reformed in a kneeling position, "It's teenagers. I think they're the ones to blame for this houses' previous state of vandalism." Angel gawks, defensive of the home that's kept him and Alastor safe and warm through the past few weeks of heavy snow, "Who the fuck teaches their kid to destroy property?! Wait-- _Who the fuck throws rocks at a house that looks like it's being lived in?!_ " He demands.

Alastor smile almost thins as he stares pointedly at the spider, "You do realize that you're a Adult Film Star, someone who also used to be in the old Mafia; and I'm a cannibalistic psychopath--that of which still has murdering rampages because I get bored, right? We aren't exactly in places to pass judgement."

"I didn't vandalize other people's things for shits and giggles, Smiles, I did it so Pops wouldn't get pissed off at me. And I'm almost positive you didn't either! There's a fine line between murder, sex, and ruining other people's property..--" Angel process the things he said before reluctantly giving in and nodding, "Okay you know what, you're right, it's not our place to call 'em out."

_"Think they got any valuable shit inside?"_

_"I can lockpick the door, you want me too?"_

_"I really don't think--"_

_"Yeah do it."_

_"Guys seriously--"_

_"Step aside puss in boots, let me show you how a real man opens a door!"_

Both demon's heads turn as the door is suddenly slammed into violently; the old craftsmanship doesn't budge as it's rammed, but damage is obviously been dealt as a soft groan sounds from outside the door. Angel has to restrain himself from laughing, but Alastor _thankfully_ steps in and helps him off the ground before he can hear the contagious guffawing that erupts from outside.

_"Great job, Kool-Aid man, maybe next time leave the breaking-and-entering to me!"_

_"Fuck you Sid."_

_"Right back at you Robby!"_

_"Get a room, morons."_

_"Guys we shouldn't be here, what if the owner comes back?"_

_"Charlie, oh my god, stop being such a baby!"_

That's five voices so far, Angel notices as he leans heavily against Alastor, how many people were out there?! The door handle jiggles as Alastor lowers the spider demon down in front of the couch--out of the door's line of sight-- before he places the beating heart down on the table, "Don't touch this until they're gone, _and don't get up no matter what._ " 

"Smiles, what are ya about to fuckin' do?"

The grinning fiend, true to the nickname, grins widely at the question-- his eyes flickering into dials while a yellow back-light flickers from behind his stained maw. "Why, I'm going to make sure they _never_ return." He reveals jovially; and before Angel can even begin to stop him, he's disappeared into the seas of shadows that plagued the living room.

...

"Sid, you sure that you can lockpick a door?"

Hazel eyes roll dramatically, but stay focused on the small lock, as a buzz cut teen tsks, "Can you breathe properly, Robby? Jeez I know how to do shit-- _unlike you!_ "

"That's a little uncalled for, you know I have asthma.." A roguish looking boy pouts, swirling the sucker he's holding in his mouth around before shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "S'cold, can you hurry asshole?"

"Stop bein' a needy bitch.. _bitch_!" Sid barks, whirling around with the lockpick pointed aggressively towards the other boy.

"Are curse words your only form of vocabulary?" A brunette girl on the side questions, just for the spite, and the buzz cut boy shoots a nasty glare her way, "I don't know Stacey, can you stop fixing your hair every five seconds?!" At the accusation, the girl's hands go up to mess with the tips of the braid that was tossed over her shoulder but she stops when she realizes her mistake. "S'what I thought!" Sid scoffs, turning back to finish with the door--

Only to find it wide open.

"Oh-.." The teen voiced blinking dumbly and looking up, if not to just see why the door suddenly opened, but when he meets searing red eyes there's only one real reaction Sid can have. His face contorts into something that resembles confused fear; and though his mouth wants to make the noises of fear, no matter how badly he wanted to scream, nothing more than a croaking squeak was produced from his throat.

Yellow stained teeth form into a full fleshed grin, and before any of the teens could realize what was happening, a snap rings out from inside the building.

Everything goes dark,

And Alastor is left staring at an empty porch with a pleasantly large smile crossing his face.

"Smiles!" Angel's call from inside has the man withholding a sigh as the spider demon warns him of not harming children, "Ya better not of eaten those kids, or I swear-!"

"They're fine!" Alastor quips back, having enough excitement for one day as he closes the door with a flourish of his hands, "They were at the wrong house, I merely sent them on their way!" His eyes narrow at the broken window to his right, but it's repaired easily with a soft snap.

Angel pokes his head around the corner, just as the window fixes itself, his eyes narrowed in distrust, "Ya didn't hurt 'em?"

"My dear, you really must give me a little credit! I may be a monster, _but I am no actual monster!"_ Alastor tries, but Angel holds up his palm and turns around to walk back into the living room, "That makes no fuckin' sense, but I ain't about to piss ya off. Ya said you didn't hurt 'em, I believe ya. Even if you're a cannibalistic, no good, all evil, demon, deer man _._ I'd like to think you keep your hands off of kids."

Alastor blinks as he listens, flicking away some of the sludge that still coats his person, "Conversation with you is always so eye opening; I wasn't aware you knew me so well." Angel gives him a tired look, a hand pressing firmly against his stomach while one of his lower ones gesture towards the bathroom.

"Shut the fuck up and go take a shower, so we can figure out what the fuck is happening to me, okay?"

This time Alastor did sigh.

"Yes dear.."

...

A couple miles away Alastor can still hear the surprised yelps of those damnable teenagers when their bodies hit cold murky water, as he turns to go towards the bathroom. His grin returned, more humored and small this time, as he recalls the few words that he managed to catch before the shadows brought him back to his own body.

_"How the fuck did we get into a swamp?!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll say it now, just in case someone failed to catch it. When Angel was hit by Alastor's magic in the earlier chapters I made sure that it was clear that something was off when Alastor finished healing him in Chapter 7, a blink and you'd miss it moment, but it's there :)! Everything that I write will most likely come up later, I just wait until people disregard it to add it in lmao.


	21. The Things We Do To Survive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things for this one guys--
> 
> I will never EVER turn my back on this story, I'm far too stubborn to not know when to stop writing lmao (I also love this idea still, and will hopefully never lose motivation for it; I will have my little spells--as all writers do-- but I will do my best to never give up on this, even when I can't make my brain work)
> 
> Secondly, I've been out on two job for two weeks, and haven't been able to do much work because I come home absolutely hammered and unwilling to do anything but eat and sleep. I've planned many things out, had this chapter outlined and ready for (however long it's been since last update) I just never got to write, and ended up changing my mind about a few things. 
> 
> Thirdly, thank you guys so much for the support on this story; it tears me apart that I can't get frequent updates out to you guys, but to see that you still all support it is just heartwarming and makes my day. Not to mention I have another story on here (Shameless self promotion, go check it out if you like Attack on Titan and giant titan eating cats!) that I've also been trying to work on since before I started my jobs--
> 
> Hopefully the longer chapters make up for the longer wait times, thank you as always for the kudos and comments and just love all together; stay safe in these trying times guys.
> 
> Much love,
> 
> From Your Inconstant Author <3

**_!SECOND HALF OF THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED AND CHANGED!_ **

* * *

_There have been many things that Angel Dust has done in order to keep himself alive._

_Back in his days of living, he lived in a very tight knit and dangerous family. A mother who loved him dearly, a twin sister who was his other half, a brother who he looked up to, and a father who provided for the family._

_Angel recalled those days vividly; like a raging dream- turned- nightmare that plagued his mind for a near century._

_Days where he'd sit awake all night wondering what his place was in the world as it spun around him, how he'd been born into a family with power, how he would one day continue on the legacy his forefathers laid out all those years ago; a legacy that would be passed down from his father, while his brother would serve as a strongly suited second hand. A weird mix up, but Pa thought the best for it--and no one ever questioned him.._

_Born into overindulgence, spoiled from birth, but taught quickly enough that his actions held great value; Angel soon came to realize that if he did something that the Family approved he'd get the best of rewards._

_Whatever Angel wanted, his father would have more the sun and moon in order to get; just as long as he played the game that had been set up._

_Aim your pistol towards the dummy's head, and fire. Don't miss or dad will be pissed. Rob this guy, scare that guy, kidnap the rich man, interrogate the poor man, and kill them when they refuse. Don't touch kids or women unless you absolutely have to, but only to use them as leverage; you kill them first if the man of the house refuses to talk._

_A brutal way to put his life; but it was practically everything Angel knew as a teen growing up in a harsh world._

_Deep down though, he knew his life was it was just a ever-hanging mask that draped over that spotless family name. A mere pawn on the chessboard of life, worth nothing but his own life._

_The Family's love was nothing more than a facade put on for the outside eye, something that even to this day Angel struggled with understanding completely. He knew that his dad loved his mom more than anything in the world; but that was it. He cared for his kids the same way he treated the rest of the men inside his 'Family', the brutes and broodmares were practically sons and daughters of various ages and bloodlines that weren't entirely his own._

_Angel and his brother were fighters as soon as they were old enough to hold a pistol steady; and Molly, bless his sister's heart, was molded to be the perfect wife when she came of age. They were young, but capable, and Angel was damn sure that if Molly ever wanted to venture out with them that she would've always been the first to shoot if trouble ever surfaced._

_They were dangerous, and that was perfect._

_They were perfect._

_Part of Angel missed those days, the simplicity in it all the habitual nonsense. The 'do what you want and get away with it' type of shit. He never had to worry, the Family would more or less turn a blind eye or, hell, even join him at times when he went on little excursions to amuse himself. There usually were no rules, except to never step out of line and to always listen to their parents. To do what was ordered of them to do; if they did that then Angel could do whatever he wanted._

_But there was a catch._

_A price he had to decide whether or not he truly wanted to pay for the entirety of his life; because Angel was so sure that no one in his old family would've understood the conflict that plagued his young mind all those years ago._

_In the New York Mafia, the one his father ran with an iron fist and a no bullshit attitude, Angel’s price for keeping his perfect life was nothing short of an identity._

_The boy, born into a family of foxed love and murder, could not be the person he always wanted to be; else he’d ruin his family’s name and make a mockery of the more innocent heads in his life._

_Angel Dust wasn’t afraid now, after seventy plus years having passed in the underworld, he was proud of being himself for a good portion of his short time in the living world._

_But back then it was so very different on a growing boy, too confusing, to dangerous for thoughts like so. Like a target on his back screaming for someone to shoot him._

_There was something about feeling an instinctual attraction in a female that Angel never really understood nor ever experienced; the only time he ever sensed anything described as so was when he noticed a boy that his eyes happened to linger on for too long._

_It came as a surprise, obviously so, but when he realized it Angel knew that in order to keep himself safe--his family's name safe-- he had to keep his true identity secret. Getting out of the mafia was a hard thing to do, but trying to get out when you didn't want to leave the comfort of the family you had been attached to your whole life? It seemed crazed and stupid, no matter how hard it was to pretend that you were --in some sense-- normal._

_Back in his day and age gay people were called sick, wrong in the head, crazy, and they were sent to the mad house for thinking like so; when he realized this, the thought alone frightened Angel to no end. And it made him regret every moment in his living life since realizing that he was a gay man in a hateful world. It made him want to hide away, to hide himself away._

_So he did._

_But keeping himself hidden was no help to his health either; everyday his curiosity would continuously eat away at the wall he'd clobbered together in order to keep himself calm during his trying times. Each passing day was an internal battle that would leave him mentally exhausted while the training he endured with his father and brother kept his body moving and busy. There had been several occasions when he had been caught staring at well dressed men across the street, while driving, on jobs, whenever they seemed to pop up-- but whenever he was asked about it Angel always said that they looked like they had a nice sum of cash stashed away somewhere._

_It was frightening, but the lie worked with ease._

_Until it didn't._

_He kept his real self locked inside and when the day eventually came for the real him to finally break out of his mental hold, he suffered._

_It was a casual slip up while walking his sister through town, window shopping for her, while scouting new territory for his family business to explore and conquer. His brother was there as well, a little sibling outing if anyone actually cared in the moment, and the one reason why all of his secrets were suddenly outed._

_Angel remembers the day he saw the man in the brown suit vest, the darker tint of his white skin, the near to flawless face that bore a broad and welcoming smile; while eyes of russet brown gleamed with amusement as he talked radio business, and traveling, to a well dressed woman on the sidewalk. The way the man projected himself was attention grabbing, eye catching, and Angel wouldn't of admitted it then--but now he would wholeheartedly say that, that he did not regret ogling the man when he and his siblings passed by him and the woman._

_He remembers the way those eyes lit with interest when the man caught Angel's stark blue stare, how his broad smile turned into something more aware--more intrigued. Calculating brown eyes that swirled with tucked away mischief, almost daring Angel's mind to do something out of his usual character--to take a step into the unknown; to do the unthinkable._

_He was fucking gorgeous. Is what the real Angel would've said, without a care in the world. The perfect fit for his imagination, as he wanted to be the center of attention for a man like him. (Maybe it was why he clung to Valentino for so long)_

_Back then, though, the action- the sheer thought of something like so-- was practically a one way ticket into the loony house._

_Because as soon as his sister noticed, his brother noticed; and when they got home his brother told his father-- whose outburst alerted everyone in the square's vicinity, including his mother._

_He hadn't been disowned, but Angel thought that he might as well of been when they sent him to the 'mad house' to get 'fixed' for his 'problems'._

_Angel Dust hates it, but he remembers everything that those people did to him when trying to fix his 'mental issues'. Every ripping procedure that they did to correct his thoughts. All the pain, all the scarred memories, all the times he was told that it would help him feel so much more **normal**._

_That damn place only gave him nightmares; still does to this day, but he's gotten over that turmoil long ago thanks to Charlie's efforts._

_When he was sent back home, Angel doesn't remember much other than having a normal family again. But he knows, that despite them having the best interests at heart, he could never forgive his father for sending him away to fix something that didn't need fixing._

_Surviving in a fake household of love and care didn't last for Angel in the long run. Eventually he had enough of the confusing and traitorous thoughts, the unsure glances his father would send his way while they walked through town --as if daring his son to look a man for too long-- the fact that everything Angel fought for in his life turned out to be nothing but a lost cause; the scent of hatred and disappointment was growing far to strong and overwhelming for one young man to take all by himself._

_So he ended it._

_Dying of a PCP overdose underneath a bridge, all by himself._

_Hell came into view soon after, dropping in through a topside view, as Angel fell into the red stained abyss of eternal torture. The newly formed spider demon landed right at the front door of the Porn Studios, got dragged in by Valentino, the big man himself, and was offered the job of a lifetime and life of luxury. He was allowed to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, and he was allowed to be himself._

_As long as he did what he was told._

_A loop for a damned soul if Angel's ever seen one._

_He stayed in Valentino's clutches for a near century; suffered by the sleazy demon's hand for so long._

_Until Charlotte Magne drove up beside his tottering, defeated, form one night and asked if he would like to stay in her hotel for free._

_Angel didn't know it then, having passed the broad off as some moron girl who had high hopes for the damned idiots like himself that splashed across the streets of Hell like diseases, but Charlie was the only one that never passed him off for a lost cause-- the only one who ever believed in him, the only one who kept him going._

_Even now, back in the overworld, stuck with the most stubborn Overlord of them all, Charlie was the only thing that kept Angel on the right track. That girl, that hotel, fuck even Vaggie, were the only thing Angel has ever been able to call a family-- a dysfunctional one, he'll admit, but a family nonetheless!_

_They never really judged him, for being him. Never said that being gay was gross, never spat on him for his work life, never turned their noses up when they came to realize that he had a terrible addiction to drugs and alcohol; instead of sending him away, and turning their backs on him, they came to care--truly care--about him._

_They urged him to stop the bad things that he did, set in better influences, curfews, rationed out and replaced, and helped him. But they never said for him to change himself because they didn't like him. They did it for him_

_Looking back, even during the first few months when the tensions were still fairly high; Angel doesn't remember anything truly deprecating that anyone inside the hotel said to him. Charlie had said that it was the person you wanted to be that mattered, that who you used to be didn't matter as long as you wanted to be better. Vaggie told him that as long as he didn't do anything that hurt Charlie she'd have his back no matter what. Nifty and Husk weren't all to bothered by his lifestyle, having a fair share of their own stories to tell, and had good enough insight to know that they were no better than himself._

_But Alastor was the one that surprised him the most, if Angel was being honest._

_For a man who wanted nothing to do with the modern style of life, and quite frankly no similar interests with Angel, or any interest in anything Angel had to offer him; Alastor had said in the most brutally honest way possible, that Angel's business was his own. That even Angel worked an honest trade; and even defended it at points when Charlie would persist in him ridding himself of sex work-- and though while he didn't indulge in the sexual type of endeavors, he could understand why other people would._

_For a prude, Alastor was surprisingly considerate that not everyone would have the same lifestyle as himself-- nor the same interests and hobbies. That of course was a slight turn off for Angel's efforts, but he did grow close with Alastor over the course of the year; since then they've been good friends._

_Banished friends now, Angel supposed humorlessly._

...

_But now was different._

Now Angel had to chose whether or not this effort was worth it all. Would his struggle to get back to the hotel _change_ something inside of him, would he stay the same if he did this, would the others think of him as the same if he dared the unknown?

It was a tough choice, _a scary choice_ , and Angel wasn't too sure of himself as he stared at the beating heart across the table from him. 

Alastor had said, a while ago, that Eldritch magic works in cruel ways. His own magic damned him to a eternal starvation, his own body betraying him as it edged the feeling of insufferable hunger every day and night; he says he's grown used to the feeling, seeing as nothing he's done has even amounted to starting to fix the problem, so he's opted to live with it. He hunts demons, _or used to hunt demons_ , down for somewhat filling meals-- not because he can but because if the taste of raw flesh leaves him for to long he assumes that he may go feral.

Now Angel has never seen Alastor _feral_ before, and he's not looking to find out any time soon, _but he has seen the man chew off his own fingers before._

Probably to sate the urge, but Angel can tell it barely works.

He's seen Alastor's mannerisms far to many times to catch the underlying irritation that lingers when he finishes his meals and still doesn't feel like he's eaten yet. And Angel knows that's what he has to deal with as the cost of gaining his magic.

So Angel's question is relatively fair when he wonders--

_What the fuck is going to happen to me when I eat this heart?_

Alastor hadn't told him anything of the origins of the original Loa the the organ belonged to. Nothing regarding it's magic, or temperament, or power level; then again he actually didn't get a lot of time to do that before it's magic and his own magic--the residue that was still inside of Angel-- had collided in a very ferocious and frightening way. That and after the encounter with the _human_ children that came to vandalize the house earlier, Alastor was far more interested in getting himself cleaned up before anything else decided to happen.

Angel had made him go take a shower, wanting that smell away from him for good. Yet, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be alone with the heart; the rhythm it beat to was lulling, _intoxicating_ \-- drawing him into it's clutches and lowing his guard so it would have a grasp on his faltering mentality.

But Angel wasn't having it! Satan-forbid he _ever_ lose his focus now of all times, not when they were getting so close to getting back home.

If he could just make himself go through with it, overcome that burden of being afraid of the unknown, he would get to see the others again. He'd get to see Charlie's bright and overwhelming smiles that made you feel all warm inside, Vaggie's sarcastic--but deep down very caring-- comments whenever he did something stupid, Nifty's overabundance of energy that always had him ready to face the day's challenges, and Husk's...well..Husk was just a friendly face to have awkwardly deep conversations with at times.

Their family would be whole again.

Angel couldn't lose sight of that now.

But he can't stop himself from worrying about the unknown factor that _could_ lead to his demise upon touching this heart again...

It could turn him into an unrecognizable abomination that would be left to wander the world alone. With no one left to love him.

Angel didn't want to be alone.

He's experienced it once, and he _never wanted to experience it again_

....

Angel was pulled from his stupor when the bathroom door promptly opened. His mind trained to the sound of the squeaking hinges immediately, as if to complain, but he failed to look over when the noise stopped. He was aware of the stare on him, probably something questioning his ‘sitting on the floor, moping’ state, but Angel couldn’t find it in himself to snap at Alastor.

Even as silence ran through the room.

The thoughts that plagued Angel’s mind were far superior to his suspicion to the uncanny silence that filled the room upon the door opening. But even so, he was still unsure as to how to even start this conversation with Alastor.

Just how the fuck was he supposed to explain his uncertainty of this plan? 

_‘Oh, so Al. I got this shit thought stuck in my head, and it made me afraid of doing things with this heart!’'_

Was that how it was supposed to go? Would Alastor even understand his fear of becoming something different?! Surely he’d be gentle with his feelings, right? Weigh the options again, and maybe they could find a way around..

The spider demon groaned lightly to himself, not liking the fact that he keeps getting so caught up in his head every time he overthinks something--Alastor would at least consider his words before answering, it was how Alastor was!

_Plus his attention span was shit,_ so if Angel didn’t start talking now then Alastor was sure to lose interest.

“I’ve been thinkin’ Smiles.” Angel started, rubbing his cheek along his shoulder as a stimulant to keep his focus away from the quiet man, “What if what we’re doin’ ain’t the right call?” The words sound stupid as they leave the spider’s mouth, and Angel nearly slaps himself for wording it like so.

Caught up in his own irritation, Angel misses the way the floor creaks under an absurd amount of weight.

“I don’t mean-- ah, shit this ain’t-- hang on..” The pale man stumbles for the right thing to say, digging deep inside him to admit an actual fear to someone who feeds off of such things. Why was this so fucking hard to say?! Just spit it out!

“I want to go back to the hotel, don’t get me wrong.” Angel reiterates, meaning just that, as he hugs his knees to his chest with his lower set of arms, “I miss the gang, and I’m sure they’re worried about us--or at least I hope they are; I mean..we’ve been gone for over a month now. I want Hell back, and I want to get to the bottom of this Lucifer and Heaven bullshit-- stuff I know you wanna figure out too!”--

Angel’s tempted to look over, to see Alastor’s reaction, but he grows far more humiliated in himself as he admits the real reason.

\--”But I’m scared of what it’s gonna turn us into, Smiles.” Angel admits, rubbing his face when the silence ensues his words, “I don’t wanna become some Eldritch abomination like the ones you keep sniffing out in order to kill! I don’t want to have no control over my body, it’s-- I-- I just got control of my fuckin’ life, I don’t want someone else or somethin’ else playin’ me..”

Slim features, sober and worried, suddenly harden, “Plus what’s gonna happen to us when we mix both with the angels’ essence you keep talkin’ about? We have no idea what’s gonna happen when we try to use it! It could kill us, or at the very least severely wound us.” Angel fights the temptation the look over, even as a soft breath echoes through the room. He can’t take the heat of the stare on his side, but he’s not entirely sure if he can face Alastor yet.

But he tries again, trying his hardest to get the man to speak back, “I dunno if you forgot Al, but you were outta commission for most of the month from a spear wound and a gunshot, from Angelic weapons! They’re dangerous! And I know you managed to vanish an entire armada of angels with the combination of both Eldritch and Angelic--” Claws drag through Angel’s hair as he threads his fingers through the majority of it, his throat clogging when Alastor’s static fails to fill his ears with reassuring noise. “--But you can’t seriously think that there won’t be backlash, right?”

Magenta eyes seal shut, awaiting the blow up that never came; Angel’s chest sunk deeper when he realized that Alastor had no intentions of responding back. But for what reason? Why wasn’t he talking back?

Was he so mad at Angel for suggesting this, that he just couldn’t form words? Was he considering it? Was Alastor even there, listening to him?

Angel sinks into his shoulders at the string of thoughts, an unsure shiver shooting down his back when no answer comes.

“Could you fuckin’ say something to me, _please_..? Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that this could backfire, Al! We could screw up doin’ this, and ruin our chances all together; but ya not talkin’ to me about it--”

Mismatched eyes sway left, glaring at the bathroom door, and Angel falters when he finally notices the reason behind the sudden strike of silence. 

Lurching out of the doorway, poised to lunge at any given second, was a large creature that dripped with the same disgusting slime that covered Alastor only an hour ago. 

It’s skin boiled and bubbled as the slim that made it’s body moved with each heaving intake of breath it took; and though it physically looked out of tune with the world, Angel was positive that if he moved too quickly it would surely plow through this entire house in order to get to him.

It didn’t look like much, obviously being a big blob of nasty Eldritch shit, but it was clearly quadrupedal; dog like, _probably more like a bear_ , with the capability of staggering to its back legs and standing up straight-- something it does now as it looks closely at Angel from behind the armchair Alastor usually occupies.  Angel compares the thing to a giant, hairless, black dog with rippling skin. And though it’s far larger than any normal mutt Angel’s come to meet within his existence (As he’s seen Hellhounds around his current height before) Angel finds that it looks far more intelligent than it seems, what with how it stood there watching, and listening, as he rambled on.

Angel moves to unravel himself for a more favorable position, wanting the ability to jump away if this thing tries for a grab. But as soon as he moves, the thing drops down on four legs and takes a step closer..

When it does, it shows the carnage inside of the bathroom.

Angel feels a part of him crumble when he sees the body of the Radio Demon pinned to the wall by various things broken off from the bathroom. The towel rack had been ripped off it’s hinges, sharpened to a point, and stabbed itself right into the neck of the red demon; while large shards of glass wreak havoc on the rest of his torn body.

Angel realizes that the more he stares, the more he finds. 

From the maw of the creature that threatens him, a forked bone protrudes from it’s teeth; an antler, stolen from the missing portion of Alastor’s skull. Sludge from the monster paints the man’s red hair, staining it’s bright color and mixing with the shaded sanguine liquid that leaks from each wound on Alastor’s body.

  
  


Seeing this, Angel falters.

  
  


It was hard to register the scene, as part of his mind favored a far away place while the rest of it struggled to grasp just how this could be possible.

But one clue was clear. And a red flag appeared.

_Several_ actually--

_ Alastor doesn’t bleed red. He bleeds black. _

_ Alastor’s static shrieks when he’s hurt or surprised. Angel would've heard him. _

_ And there was no possible way that Alastor of all people would be killed and strung up like some sick decoration, by this fucking creature of all beings. _

  
  
  


_This had to be something about the heart_ , Angel guesses.

Alastor, though never going into fine detail, has mentioned something about certain Loa who show various things in order to force their prey’s minds to break.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

This thing couldn’t be real, it had to be the original Loa just trying to mess with his mind--

  
  


Glancing towards the creature, Angel manifests his weapons and takes aim; daring the thing to jump at him. If it was bullshitting him, he’d bullshit right back. 

_ Let’s call the bluff. _

At the new confidence, and aggressive stance, the creature stills; clearly faltering in surprise. Angel couldn’t help the small twitch that took his mouth, pleased with the reaction. But the smirk practically fell when the creature spat out the broken antler in its mouth, before lunging forward.

Covering his head, Angel shields himself as the thing barrels towards him; his eyes squeezed shut, embracing the fact that he was about to get steamrolled by a giant fucking blob of Eldritch sludge.

But when nothing hits him, and he finds himself not pinned to the floor, Angel can’t help but think he’d been right all along.

That doesn’t stop him from hesitating though.

....

When Angel next opens his eyes he’s on his side with a naturally comfortable weight lightly hanging over his side. 

  
  


Confused, he tries to lift his head up quickly; but it gradually rises off the pillow it rested on before his eyes finally lock onto the dark bed sheet that was draped over his frame. 

He manages to register the fact that he’s laid out on a bed, snuggled comfortably against a large body pillow, but Angel isn’t quite sure where he is yet.  With a mind foggy with remnants of sleep, sleep Angel hasn’t experienced in a long time, the spider demon’s body moves slightly and almost instantly his mind recoils with a stab of a restless headache. 

Suddenly finding himself exhausted Angel releases a groan that falls inaudible in his own ears, but when it’s expelled, almost immediately it’s alerted someone else in the room. Within seconds, there are footsteps making their way towards the bedside. And before he knows it, there’s a hand lightly setting itself on his left temple.

Tensing up, Angel barely registers to gentleness in the touch as it skims over a tender spot on his head; the man’s first reaction is to only look over, yet deep inside his body screams for him to jump away just in case he is unsafe-

But his body moves at a snail’s pace, and slowly manages to glance over to meet the rounded, black, pupils of a young demoness. 

Someone who _smiled_ when they saw his reaction.

_Charlie Magne_ was smiling widely, a broad curl of her lips that would put the Radio Demon’s smile to shame; and Angel, inwardly, found himself gawking at her sudden appearance.

“You’re awake” She beams; and Angel can’t help but feel happy. 

_ Man it was good to hear her voice after so long. _

“You nearly gave Alastor and I a heart attack, leaving all of a sudden like that!” She laughs, and Angel finds himself relaxing under the noise. “You managed to rip your head open when you fell in the shower,” The blonde keeps her hand on his temple as she talks, and Angel blinks in confusion.

“Not just rip, my dear. Had you not been undead already with the healing abilities you have now; you would’ve been dead on the floor with a cracked skull.” A tinless, ubeat--yet oh so serious-- voice corrects from nearby, and Angel finds himself rolling his eyes without actually meaning to.  “Well don’t scare him too much, Al.” Charlie scolds, but her words are fond sounding; it makes Angel’s stomach flip when he mentally jots their interaction down for safe keeping.

Alastor makes a dismissing noise as he comes into view, hair tied back and out of his face with a pair of crescent lensed glasses donning his face, “You both know I mean well.” He argues, smiling softly when Angel’s eyes move to look at him.

At the sudden attention, there’s a clear amount of hesitance that fills his frame, before his fond stare falters and he clears his throat loudly. 

Charlie’s smile turned mischievous for a moment, but whatever she was thinking about, neither man took complete notice of her as she turned back to Angel, “How did this even start? What made you do that anyways?”

“We were disagreeing on something I had said a while ago; he claimed that I hadn’t said it, and I told him I did.”

Angel’s mouth moves, forming and sounding out words that reach everyone else's ears but his own; to that the man feels ultimately betrayed by his own ears, as judging by their reactions he said something witty enough to make the deer demon roll his eyes. 

Charlie looks between the two as Angel speaks to them, deaf to himself yet capable of hearing the snort of laughter that expels from the girl as she covers her mouth. Angel can’t help but think, as he watches them, that he feels left out of the conversation he’s engaged in.

Something was obviously keeping him at a distance, close enough to hear the other two but somehow not himself within the small room they occupied.

Not to mention, what even was this place? 

The bed, the room, the everything; all of it felt strangely familiar even though Angel swears he’s never seen any of it before in his life. 

His mannerisms are off here too, calmer, more calculated and focused than normal-- 

More at peace..

Hell, even Alastor was off by a landslide--

_ And Charlie.. _

Angel found himself watching the girl in his peripheral as he spoke mutely to both her and Alastor.

How was she here? When did she get here? 

_ Was she even real..? _

_ Was any of this real..? _

Angel’s mind was sealed front and center, and from where he was watching--though through his own eyes-- he felt oddly out of control as his body moved without his consent;

_ Like he was a backseat driver with no control over himself. _

Red eyes shift to Angel, pinched with exasperation, “I’m only saying, _Mon Ange_.” Alastor grinned when Angel’s face morphed into something bemused-- _though inwardly Angel’s brain stutters when hearing the term of endearment slip so easily from the male’s tongue_.-- “You should have believed me, I never lie.”

“That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one!” Charlie scoffs, her head of blonde hair swaying as she looks up at the man. 

Alastor’s smile dies down into something humored, softer than before, and he carefully sets a steaming mug of something on the nightstand for Angel.  “I _rarely_ lie.” Alastor corrects, winking lightly at the spider, quickly backing away before Charlie could swat at him; Angel, while watching this, can feel his body shake with laughter--laughter he doesn’t even feel compelled to give, but still releases despite himself.

Such a surreal feeling, Angel feels himself captured in the moment. Wanting nothing more than to understand more of what he’s witnessing as Charlie and Alastor take amused potshots at each other.

He doesn’t want to leave it.

_ But he has no choice as his vision slips away into the abyss once more. _

* * *

All to quickly, Angel finds himself on the floor and staring up at the ceiling.

_"Shit!"_

Heart pounding in his ears, _his own heart this tim_ e, Angel's breathing suddenly doubles it's efforts as unbidden panic settles in; a hand comes down carefully setting on his shoulder as a pain seizes in Angel's stomach. It's all too quick to register as he moves to sit up, as a fit of nausea dares the back of his throat, but he's stopped by the hand when it moves to settle over the base of his throat.

The feeling subsides, but it doesn't stop the man from dry heaving once.

"Holy shit--" Angel wheezes, eyes wild as his focuses in on the moment; before he arches back slightly with a pain filled noise--his head felt like shit-- _._ "Awe, that was fuckin' terrible!" He whined, wincing at the fuzziness that plagued his mind.

"Sounded terrible." Alastor admits, moving to cradle Angel's head between his hands and successfully dragging out a heavy portion of the tension that was pressing against the spider demon's skull, "It seems you just can't stay on your feet!" The grinning demon's face appeared upside down in Angel's eyes; it was softer than before--if not a little concerned-- but finely humored in order to lighten the frightening scene he witnessed. "You were talking away, having a swell conversation with yourself!"

Angel realizes, by the position Alastor hovers in, that he's lying on the Radio Demon's lap; tensing up, he moves to get away--for Alastor's sake-- but is stopped when sharp claws dig in slightly to keep him still, "Don't move. Your body will not like it." Alastor advises, static slowly lulling through the room as his presence grounds Angel completely.

_He sounds alright_ , Angel notes, unbidden relief forcing his body to relax more; _thank fuck, he sounds normal!_ A _nd from the looks of it they're both back at the house in the overworld.._ He wasn't entirely sure what he saw, but he knew that it had to of been a fever dream fantasy that his mind wanted--

_Whatever the fuck that meant.._

"I found you on the ground;" Alastor tells Angel, and the pale male _swears_ he can hear the other's voice waver slightly, "You weren't moving nor were you breathing." The claws at the edge of his chin soften into a gentle sway as Alastor moves; and Angel doesn't miss the lingering way the hands seem to move in.

"I..feel fine." Angel tries, voice croaking as Alastor's hands move down in order to soothe the sudden spike in static in his throat. Angel realizes, as the red demon leans forward, that he feels _tingly--_ from what? Angel didn't entirely know..

"That's good." Alastor comments, "Especially after I saw that you'd eaten the Loa heart, I'm glad it didn't permanently harm you."

_Wait.._

_"I ate the--"_

"You managed to cram it down your throat before I could stop you." Alastor smiles lightly, blinking his glowing eyes softly when Angel's face lit up in shock; " I only managed to see you hawk it down before you dropped to the floor." 

"I did ? I didn't even know--" Angel tries to defend himself, knowing that Alastor had told him to stay away from the heart before he went in for his shower. He could swear that there was a break in that perfect accent, switching and slurring every so often, but Angel was far to afraid of what Alastor would now that he was awake and aware of eating the Loa heart without his consent.

...

"Settle down. I'm not upset, just surprised you managed to get through it by yourself." The man tells him, twitching slightly as he helped Angel move to sit up, "This particular Loa was a spirit of trickery, it liked to play with illusions and mess with it's prey's mind. I wanted to be here just in case you couldn't find your way back, but you've gone and done it all by yourself."

"Fuckin' party tricks. All that was fake?"

Alastor nods, but Angel wasn't entirely believing it.

Quickly he glanced back to see the bathroom-- the place he saw the black demon dog, and where he found Alastor pinned to the wall-- but as he looked it became far more obvious that whatever happened, had only happened inside of his own mind.

It was perfectly fine.

No blood, no Alastor decorated walls, no giant slim monsters, no strange rooms he's never been inside; and most importantly no one else from the hotel was here. 

Angel would've been disappointed, had the relief of their-- his own and Alastor's-- safe-being not taken over his body first.

Fuck, he was glad that it wasn't real--

The spider demon took a staggering step back, a bout of exhaustion hitting him; thankfully Alastor was there to steady his sway. All to quickly the red demon pulled Angel away and spun his practically limp and compliant body around once before carefully steadying Angel once more. The shorter male was ecstatic as he stopped the other before he could trip over his stocking covered feet, bouncing in place while the static in his radio crackled into upbeat songs that produced the excitement his words failed with.

Had he not grown to be a complete softy for the man in front of him, Angel would of snapped, but seeing Alastor excited _\--this excited--_

_It was nice.._

"We've done it, Angel!" Alastor chirps, far more perky now that he was sure that the other man wasn't in danger of being consumed from the inside out. Ears pricking upwards, he helps the other sit down on the couch again, "I was a little wary about how that would go, but I am quite happy with how it, turned out!"

"Smiles. I fuckin' passed out, ate a heart without actually knowin', and passed out again.."

"This is true." Alastor nods, agreeing wholeheartedly, "Yet you didn't let it consume you; I knew that you'd manage the mental battle, I just hoped that you wouldn't be deceived by the Loa's illusions. Had you lost your path, it would of been much harder for you to get back to the real world."

Angel smirked, and poked good fun--if not to amuse Alastor, then to pat himself on the back-- "Yeah? Well they had some pretty shit illusions," The spider admits with a gentle tug that pulled at his heart, "Not one of 'em looked real ta me." 

"Then it's an even bigger step for you, my dear." Alastor provides, pleasantly unaware of the heat that blared from Angel's person as he recalled the second illusion he'd been sucked into, "Come tomorrow your training begins! We have to see just what category of sin you'll fall under, that and how powerful your hold of illusions will be!" Alastor clasps his hands, far to excited for his own good as he gets up and off the couch, "I have reason to believe that you'll be under the Sin of Lust--for obvious reasons-- and if that's so then we've had another stroke of luck! It will be easy for you to feed if it's off simple desire!"

"Shit-- _you're talking to much_ \-- you said training?"

"Yes indeedy!" Angel groaned and fell back against the couch cushions in a heap, unwilling to hear more, even as Alastor hummed an amused noise. "Don't tell me you've exhausted your wits end my dear? You are usually far more at the ready with a smart jab!" 

Angel could tell that the man was just poking fun, and he could admit that it was nice to see Alastor's fun side peeking around the corner, but even he could only enjoy so much before his half awake brain imploded, 

"Let me take the night off, and we'll start tomorrow. We got a deal, babe?" One of the lower hands on Angel reached out and hung limply in the air for Alastor to grab in a mock effort of a handshake. He knew the demon hated the nickname, but if Alastor said anything to complain about it Angel didn't hear it.

The yellow maw of sharpened teeth slid shut as Alastor's grin softened into a passive smile, curling slightly when the endearing term leaves the spider's mouth, ever so carefully he takes Angel's hand and squeezes it gently, "Sounds like a deal to me, my dear." He agrees, before snapping his free fingers and conjuring a blanket to tuck over Angel's body,

"Get some rest, you'll need all of your strength come tomorrow."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little character fleshing out for Angel, long awaited if you ask me lol; I wanted to emphasize the actual intelligence this man is capable of hiding; his people skills and ways of getting what he wants and such-- if you think about it, Angel Dust could very well be a highly complex character in the actual show (And I can't wait to see what Viv does with him!) I wanted to back up and give my take on his backstory, I'm sorry if it got a little dark (Or for those truly despicable, I'm sorry if it wasn't dark enough lol?) but I think it was important for his development through this story.
> 
> But you know, this might not be my strongest chapter (I feel like the more i work on them the worst they get) and if it's a bad chapter then I am so sorry D: Next chapter will be the hotel gang, and Lucifer (maybe) but we're getting there <3
> 
> ALSO  
> For anyone that realized that the 'man in the brown suit' was Alastor in human form before I just told you, you have my love xD It's not supposed to mean anything, no 'AH IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT OML' just a little nod towards all the fanfics and theories of Alastor and Angel meeting when they were alive. 
> 
> I will admit the timeline would be a little wonky (since I'm not sure of their death-days myself) But since --don't quote me on this-- Alastor's 'fan wiki' and Angel's 'fan wiki' say that they died in the 1930s and 1940s ish, I'm going to say that somewhere in there they met before the Stock Market crash, I'll say Alastor had a job up in New York for a while before the indecent hit fully, and he then went back to Louisiana to take care of his mother. Sound fair?
> 
> With that all out of the way, I do so hope that you've all enjoyed this chapter! I am so very sorry for the delay, but I do hope that you guys will stick with me to the very end of this one!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading,  
> ~Rowdy~


	22. Lets Start A Riot!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F**K THAT S**T, LETS START A RIOT!
> 
> I'm not sorry, I've had that song in my head for a while and I finally get to use it as a chapter title! :D
> 
> I've also realized that I can in fact bring more to the table if I so very pleased, so be ready for some more stuff and things my dudes-- 
> 
> Remember when I said I have absolutely no idea what to write for the next chapter? HA, I don't! No but seriously this is just a blob of words that I have no idea what to think of. It may be rushed(It's most likely rushed) I'm sorry that it is, but--I..have absolutely no excuse whatsoever, I'm just a shit writer.
> 
> Sorry lmao, enjoy the chapter guys~
> 
> Also thank you all so much for the Kudos, and comments! They mean so much, and give me so much more motivation to get these chapters out!

* * *

Angel and Alastor were gone.

In a blink of an eye they were gone, with no indication of where they went.

Whether dead or not, no one knew that either.

And it was eating Charlie _alive_.

... 

That night, the same night she found the scorch mark on the floor, Charlie felt no yearn to sleep.

_Angel and Alastor were gone. How could she think of sleep when they were somewhere that she couldn't find them?_

After finding out that her father could very well be behind the sudden disappearance of Angel Dust and Alastor, she had no will to close her eyes and rest the night away. It was too sudden, to out of the blue to believe full-heartedly. She could understand Alastor's magic malfunctioning and sending them far away into Hell, with him being too weak in the moment to teleport back, but she couldn't possibly wrap her head around the possibility of her own father sending them away for no apparent reason.

Alastor has been nothing but help since the start of this invasion. Lucifer sought out his help, individually, to save the souls in the ballroom--even all of Hell-- from certain doom! He saved hundreds of thousands of people the day he snuffed out the Angelic grace that threatened Hell. He could of died doing it, but he still tried! They spoke about the likely hood of escaping Hell with a majority of the population, leaving Lucifer and Lilith as the last remaining souls in Hell to suffer by the angel's hands. Lucifer entrusted her safety _to Alastor!_

Lucifer _trusted_ Alastor, and vice versa. It was as simple as that; _they worked together so easily that it was hard for them not to be friends._ Respect both ways, mutual understandings, no claim to harm the other in any way.

Brothers with no shared blood. It's what they were.

_There was no way her father would turn on Alastor so quickly, not after his life had been saved._

...

Charlie knew, _she knew_ , that the angels were probably not happy with what Alastor did to the ball of flaming grace. Charlie knew that the Archangel had to of been furious with his intervention, she could only guess how harshly they reacted when they realized what happened. When they realized it was Alastor who executed the final blow. She could see them plotting to get him, hence why she found the Devil's Trap in the penthouse.

So yes, it was possible that Lucifer had been _asked_ to plot against Alastor for his defiance-- _for fighting against the higher power_ \-- but Charlie was so sure that her father would decline, that she was willing to fight for his defense.

But she also knew that he was prone to stupid decisions. 

_Because she was prone to stupid decisions; last second decisions, decisions that were made with a hair trigger's second left of time._

...

Charlie wasn't the brightest crayon in the box-- _though she would argue that she was a shining personality to be around_ \-- but she was smart to a point of just _knowing how people worked._ It was her job to pick out the quirks in people, notice the little tics that showed how they worked, behaviors were like reading a small novel. Her optimism fooled people into thinking that she was just another dumb blonde that they could trick and walk all over, but she knew how to get into people's heads. She knew how to take the weakest point inside their heads and make them realize just what they're doing--she knew how to make people think about their choices.

It was easy.

_It was easy to see how people worked, for Charlie._

_Why else would she of opened a rehabilitation hotel?_

Alastor's tics were subtle; a small step for distance when he felt the need for it, his fingers drummed constantly when he was antsy, his foot tapped when he was energetic, he twirled his cane when being contemplative, squinted when being mischievous, flexed his fingers when he was irritated. Alastor excused himself when talking about familial subjects, he hated the idea of a dog mascot, disliked being touched without warning--

Angel, a long time ago had said something about the different tunes of static, called them "Switches" Charlie thinks; it was how he knew Alastor's moods-- but Charlie could never catch those fast enough, she relied on his posture in order to read his moods.

Now Lucifer was no different, more down to earth --more like under earth, heh-- and less projecting that Alastor, yet still chaotic in his own way. Lucifer tilted his head when he was focused, Lucifer squared his shoulders when he caught a misplaced thought, Lucifer _doesn't dance around when he's realized something he's forgotten_ Charlie knows that he specifically checks his pocket watch to check the time before announcing he has to go.

Lucifer _didn't_ square his shoulders. He _didn't_ check his watch. He announced abruptly that he had to go get _something for Lilith._

_Lucifer does not snap his fingers unless he has a destructive reason to do so._

Charlie had been too caught up with Valentino to notice; she _knew_ it was a strange new tic but she brushed it off!

_She knew he was acting off but she didn't bat an eye!_

_..._

_"Hun.."_

The small voice brought Charlie from her stupor, dousing her anger with graceful ease and soothing her muddled mind immensely. From across the table, with her single pale colored eye, Vaggie sat with a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. She was gesturing down to something as soon as Charlie came too, and when the blonde followed her finger it became evident that the inner conflict going on inside her brain had somehow showed itself to the outside eye in the shape of a burnt hand mark.

The poor coffee table would never recover from this, she supposed. Flicking her hand a few times in order to soothe the heat that bared from it.

"Sorry.." She apologized after a moment, before tucking her hand closely to herself, "Wasn't really thinking."

"You were thinking too much." Vaggie points out, "You're overthinking this entire thing, Charlie."

"I'm not thinking enough about it!" The blonde argues, unintentionally heating the air around her as she does, "I could of stopped him from doing that, from taking them away from us! But I was just--"

" _Stressed_." Vaggie concedes gently, shifting in her chair and curling her fingers around her cup despite the want to reach out to the other girl, "You were stressed, still are stressed." There was concern in those pale eyes, something Charlie failed to see. "Yesterday was a big day no one was quite ready for. Your dad dropped a bombshell of information on us, and then with me getting shot and there being a human-angel in the hotel, it was just too much for you take in all at once."

"Clueless, I was so _clueless_!" Charlie finishes, Vaggie's words going in one ear and out the other as she sets her hands against her forehead, "I should have known, Vaggie! I should've seen it coming! They could be anywhere, and we have no idea why they're gone! If it was my dad, he could of done everything to them; they could be getting tortured right now for no reason--and I can't get to them!"

"..Charlie we're not even sure if what Lucifer did was malicious or not. We're not even sure that it was him to do it!" The girl tries, blinking her one eye softly when the blonde across from her shakes her head woefully, "I screwed it up! I should of seen past it--"

"No one realized what was happening," Husk intervenes, twitching when the heat bared his way; it felt like all his shade on a hot day just disappeared into thin air, "I was watching from the kitchen and didn't see a thing, and the kitchen has direct sight to the stairway we saw the marks on; you're not the only one who missed the chance, kid." The tom took a generous swig of his drink before setting it down on the table next to where Nifty sat. The tiny demon had no intentions on speaking up, but she kept her outward appearance calm for Charlie's sake.

They'd been like this for an hour, trying to figure out what they should do. But Charlie was having none of it, and instead resulted in self shaming for something _everyone missed._

"Now look," Husk tries, a watchful eye watching Charlie's every move, " If you're thinking that Lucifer actually has somethin' to do with this, there's no way of knowing unless we confront him; and _that_ isn't a good idea." Vaggie couldn't of turned to glare at the tom quickly enough before Charlie's head lifted in a attentive way.

" _Husk_ -!"

"That's a great idea!" Charlie voiced, "I'd have to be really careful, but asking him would fix it!"

Vaggie then turned her dark stare to her lover, " _Charlie!"_

"Vaggie!" Charlie exclaims, "What's the worse he could do to me if I asked? Disown me? Try to hurt me? I'm capable of protecting myself against him." 

"That's not the point, Hun. If he's actually responsible for this and _you_ say the wrong thing, he may very well take you away from us too." Vaggie looks desperate now, desperate to talk her lover out of this idea--she doesn't want to lose Charlie, _She'd do anything to keep Charlie safe, no matter what._ She notices the fight in Charlie's eyes leave for a second, easily giving into her worry, before it's back in a dimmer glow.

Vaggie knows she's won, but Charlie's still going to be stubborn.

She expects nothing less.

"But Alastor and Angel--" "Let's try finding them ourselves first, okay?" Vaggie tries, practically on the verge of pleading as the blonde looks at her cautiously, "You said Angel's phone was gone, and I know he doesn't let that thing out of his sight for long-- _let's try calling him first._ "

The moth demon then goes to the pocket of her shorts, digging around for her phone before pulling it out and thumbing the cracked screen in order to wake the device up; Charlie veers closer instantly, having the need to hover, as Vaggie pulls up her contacts and scrolls to Angel Dust's name. 

"You think he's going to pick up?" Husk questions, "What would of stopped him from calling one of us by now--?" " _Shh_ ," Nifty quiets the male before his words could reach Charlie's ears, "Just let them.." She urges watching patiently as the moth demon presses the speaker button before lifting the phone up closer to her and Charlie's ears.

It rings.

Once..

Twice...

Five times...

And then--

* * *

"Hey, Smiles!"

From the backroom, Alastor's ears twitch upward at the call. The room quiets in static, while the device his hand had previously been on goes quiet; the damnable newer versions of radios nowadays were drastically different than his own-- _far more irritating to re-signal as well--_ but Alastor had managed to fan through a few local stations and listen in on the bustle of the world's current state.

Seemingly everything was still in order in the Overworld. Which was good, it gave them time to prepare and train for the fight ahead.

But Alastor was intrigued by the sudden pulse in weather changes and blare in Christian fanatics. He supposed the believers felt a change coming along. And in a way he agreed, _something big was coming._

He wouldn't lie, he did feel a little off--but he was a demon in a world of life. That may be the reason as to why he felt so different.

"You gonna fuckin' ignore me all day? Get you ass in here an' look at this!"

Stifling the annoyed buzz of noise that threatened the back of his throat, Alastor clips his glasses to the front of his shirt before getting out of his chair and stepping out of the room. 

"My dear, when I asked for thirty minutes of quiet, I did not mean twenty-five." Alastor scolds, turning the corner and looking placidly at the spider draped upside-down over the couch; unsure of what's being displayed, Alastor stops short in the doorway and watches as Angel plays with the gentle string of pink magic that coiled around his fingers.

His illusions were getting stronger, and he was _thankfully_ getting better at controlling them. When he first tried, Alastor nearly scolded him when making a unsightly illusion of a large.. _thing_..on the floor. However, that day, the pale male had been so happy to successfully create an image that Alastor actually held his tongue for a healthy amount of seconds before asking politely for Angel to remove the genitals from the living room floor.

Alastor only hoped that it wasn't another one of _those_ illusions Angel's conjured this time.

After a moment, Alastor's eyebrows knit together as Angel smiles dumbly up at him, "What are you doing?"

"Something." Angel responds through a growing grin, before lifting up his phone and showing the screen to Alastor, "You told me to practice the subtle illusions so I've been workin' at them-- check it!"

Lifting a thin brow, Alastor stared at the screen curiously; it was a photograph of himself, Angel, Charlie, and Vaggie they were all cramped together for the picture with varying smiles-- _Angel's and Charlie's being the brightest and most happy--_ Alastor registered that he remembered the day Angel insisted on a picture together, but did not understand the relevance behind it's importance now.

Glancing at Angel, Alastor tilted his head, "It's a photograph."

"A picture." Angel corrects, thumbing the image to zoom out of their faces squashed together, "A picture of the day we taught Charlie and Vaggie how to dance--like actually dance! Thanks to you I can still use my phone to look at old pictures, but that's not the point-" The spider waved a pale hand and started to unravel himself from the couch. "Point is, they're memories. _My memories._ "

"Mhm." Alastor leaned away as a wild leg lashed out on accident, watching with slight humor as Angel nearly became a pile of limbs on the floor.

"Well, you said that I could better integrate my power, by usin' memories--and I was thinkin' about my phone and how it has so many pictures and then _bam!_ It happened!" He explained while sitting up properly on the couch.

"It happened?" Alastor echoed with a closed mouth smile. 

"Yup! I just started thinking about how much fun Charlie was having, and how happy it made me feel and then I started making the image--look."

A subtle pink mist formed at Angel's fingers, wild and thrashing like a crazed animal and Alastor caught it before it could lash out at him again; he watched calmly as the other male reigned it back into his control before sending it towards the middle of the room. The oddity of Angel's magic, though being partially born from Alastor's own, had grown to dislike the charge in the red demon's aura.

_But that wasn't important right now._

Red ears twitch when the soft spell of music filled his ears, something that wasn't of his own making, as the middle of the room suddenly contorted and swirled before creating the shape of two beings swinging each other wildly around.

Alastor blinked as Angel strained to finish the figures off, but they wouldn't form properly-- instead they got a shaky, see through, misted, image of a pale haired being pulled in circles by a laughing blonde one.

" _C'mon, Vaggie! Didn't you say that you liked this song?!"_

Alastor paused when the illusion spoke, his ears popping up while his eyes moved towards Angel who--let's face it-- looked extremely pleased with himself. Magenta eyes swirled with self pride before they brighten with old humor while his face breaks into a grin, "Smiles, you're face-- You can see it right?" Leaning left Alastor noted himself leaned against the bar with a near straight lined smile as he watched the girls 'jump' in circles-- _Well one was jumping, the other was dragging her feet--_

Least to say the past him didn't seem too pleased.

"Can you blame me?" Alastor comments, "Their dancing was repulsive."

"Their dancin' that day was just expressive." Angel chuckled, moving his hand a little as if to clear up the image, "Plus, you taught them how to do swing dancing right anyways." His eyes focused in on himself watching the two dance, a raised brow lifted unimpressed by their uncoordinated sway.

"Don't sell yourself short, my dear. You helped." Alastor couldn't stop himself from admitting this aloud, and barely withheld a cringe at how sincere it sounded.

"Awe," Angel made a small noise, his focus leaving the illusion for a moment which made it shudder, "Such a sweet talker." His face softened in amusement when Alastor's static jittered awkwardly, but he said nothing more when Charlie's faint laughter fills the room again.

Angel could feel his chest tighten, but as Alastor settled beside him he couldn't help but beam when the male spoke, "You've done quite a bit in the past handful of weeks, my dear, and this little display shows your progress thus far. We'll have to take the next step soon." "What if I don't got enough power in me to do that?"

"You're sustaining yourself as we speak," Alastor pointed out, "I believe that through the memories, the emotions you felt that day feed your present day power, desire is a strong feeling my dear. You wanting to be back with them, missing them like so, it drives you." Alastor explains, before finally opting to reassure, _"I_ know you'll be able to get through it."

"You betta believe it, Smiles." Angel scoffed, but frowned when his past figure stood up and split the dancing girls apart, his faint voice boldly telling them that they have no groove while his face smiled.

He could see Charlie clap her hands together as her voice asked him to teach them, he could practically _feel_ her puppy eyes on him.

It hurt to imagine it.

"Fuck, I miss them.." 

Alastor hand set itself on his shoulder, a comforting squeeze following behind it, "As do I, my dear." 

A single pat before the hand retracted, even though Angel wanted it to stay for just a little longer.

..

"As do I.."

* * *

...

"He's not going to answer.." Vaggie mutters, feeling her lover's pain before she even shows it.

_On the sixth ring, Angel's voicemail comes up._

And Vaggie lets it play through while Charlie looks desperately to Husk and Nifty. "You guys, you can contact Alastor right?" She questioned frantically, moving from Vaggie and towards the two other demons who shared a wary look. "Charlie.." Vaggie tries to reach out for the other, but she stops short when she realizes that there's no use.

Charlie was stubborn.

Period.

Nifty looked to Husk, hoping that the answer he had would be better than her own, but she nearly face palmed when the tom responded bluntly. "We _had_ our ways to contact Al. But our deals were broken, so we can't exactly call on his service now." The tom stared Charlie right in the eyes as he said this, being extremely serious while doing so, "We have no way with getting in touch with Alastor, because our connection to him was cut and tossed out to the mutts."

" _Fuck!_ " Charlie hissed, and the room got significantly hotter as she turned to create a safe distance. "Why wouldn't he answer?! It rang, why didn't he answer?!"

Vaggie shut her screen off, looking a little out of sorts as she watched her lover fume. It's been a while since Charlie was this frustrated, only ever seen as so after her initial argument with her parents about the hotel, and the realization of demons can't be redeemed the way she thought they could. They were both good reasons, but Vaggie had a feeling that this time it was mostly fear and stress talking; not just Charlie's peaked frustration.

"Maybe it's off.." The moth demon tries, but Charlie shakes her head, "No it wouldn't of rang that many times if it were! This played straight through!" "Well, hun..I don't know what you want me to do then, _they can't get in touch with Alastor because their deals broke, and Angel's not picking up his phone._ What do you plan on doing?"

"Well.." Nifty interrupted, her feet swinging back and forth, before the situation could get more tense; "Valentino has Angel Dust in a contract, right? Why not ask him? Can't he summon him or locate him, like Alastor could do us?" Her large eye moved towards Husk, who in turn inclined his head thoughtfully at the idea.

"Worth a shot.."

Charlie blinked at the idea, her mind successfully clinging to the thread of hope Nifty granted her while Vaggie inwardly shriveled.

_Valentino was the worst option, far worse that Lucifer in her opinion._

_Valentino would sense Charlie's distress._

_Valentino would know Alastor's absence._

_Valentino would warn Vox and Velvet of the opportunity to overthrow both Charlie and Alastor._

_Valentino would destroy them. He'd take her away from Vaggie._

_With Charlie in the state she is right now, she's vulnerable; and without Alastor here to give her proper back up there's no telling what could go wrong!_

"I know his number." Charlie states, patting her pants down only to realize that her phone had been destroyed long ago by her father's magic. The bastard.

_But one person still had a phone on hand._

_"Vaggie."_ Charlie persists, hand outstretched to the moth demon as she clutched her phone close. Vaggie startled, only slightly, looking up at her lover with a wide and unsure stare; and Charlie did everything she could to not falter at the worrisome look.

"Hand me your phone, please."

"..Charlie.."

" _Please.._ "

A sigh leaves the grey haired girl, a heavy feeling of regret seizing her frame before she slowly allows Charlie to take the phone from her hand. Vaggie doesn't dare say anything, pained by the things she imagined happening, but to caught up in her lover to say no again. She feels a gentle hand take the device away, and Vaggie can see Charlie's desperation easily as she thumbs the numbers of Valentino's personal phone. 

They all share a look, impatience eating them alive while Charlie quickly clicked the speaker button.

It rang twice before a smooth voice answered in a tired tone.

"Valentino speaking, who the hell is this?"

Vaggie watched as her lover squared her shoulders, finely tuning her voice to sound normal and strong despite the sheer desperation that bled from her eyes.

"Hello? This is Charlie Magne."

...

"We need to talk about Angel."

* * *

Valentino couldn't hide the surprise that lit his gaze when he heard the princess' voice over the phone. But he managed to steady his visage before Velvet or Vox could notice his falter; with a play on a sultry grin the giant leaned more into the couch before crossing his leg lazily. The need to keep a strong outer shell was important, even in these trying times it was important to keep his strong persona alive, to keep the fear alive; he at least needed that to feel better about the situation.

Though..

He certainly hadn't expected Charlie to contact him; by phone at that, especially on a number he wasn't familiar with.

The Hell was she thinking? He was a busy man-- Red eyes rake across the room, where Vox was standing by his desk going over the damages with Velvet, they both looked a little disheveled while they worked-- _Okay_ , so maybe business wasn't booming anymore. So what? They were still head honchos down in Hell, they had a name, and they were certainly going to work in order to get shit back together.

"Well it is a pleasure to hear your voice again, doll." Valentino crowed, not failing to notice the odd tilt of Vox's screen as the TV demon looked up from his work, on the other line he could practically feel Charlie sending an uncomfortable look to her workers, "And just what can I do for you?" He questioned while fishing around in his shirt pocket for a smoke. 

"I need you to answer a question of mine. It's important actually, so if you could take this a little seriously I'd be grateful." Came the answer; and Valentino twitched when it came out extremely monotonous. Robotic even, maybe rehearsed actually. Squinting lightly, the bug demon pulls a cigar from his shirt pocket and moves to situate himself more comfortably.

Valentino twirled the unlit cigar in his fingers, still on the fence on whether or not he should light it now or later, while he responded, "Sure, doll." He said despondently, antenna twitching when Vox's static crackled through the air curiously. He sent a warning stare towards the other male, telling him not to peek into the call or else, and it was met with a compliant roll of the other's devilish eyes.

Valentino assumed that the conversation would be somewhat safe, so he listened a little more calmly.

"It's Angel Dust." She repeats, "I need to know if you're capable of summoning him to you."

A brow lifted at that, and Valentino scratched at his chin as he let that sentence settle in his brain. _Why the Hell did she need to know that?_

"I am." He answered after a second, sounding a little off, "He agreed to it, but asked I only did it during proper late emergencies." Valentino twirled the cigar again, lighting it this time as it spun. He was a man of his word, breaking agreements was a big no in his eyes, but he did take opportunities where they appeared. Angel Dust said a long time ago that he didn't mind working, he could take his work hard, he didn't care how rough things got. He only wanted fair time off. Valentino was only allowed to summon him back if there was a act cut short or one of his other top performers got hurt or killed. 

It was fair, but Valentino could see where Angel Dust was getting tired of it.

He could go overboard, that's obvious.

Did he care? Not really.

"There a reason you need to know?" He questions and the girl on the other line is quiet for a moment. Valentino takes the time to take a drag from his cigar, but when she talks he nearly falters once more.

"I need you to try and summon Angel Dust for me. Bring him to you, and then I'll come and get him."

Valentino grinned in order to hide his confusion from his voice; the smoke from his intake slithering out of his nose as he did so, "This his final goodbye before we talk contract business? My-my, that's sweet that you'd let me have him one last time."

"No- That's not what I was implying.." Charlie audibly faltered, and Valentino tilted his head when she did, as amusing as this was she was sounding far to off for his liking.

"I just need you to do it, please." The girl finishes, finally swallowing her stuttering voice and forcing her more stern tone forward. It pulled the grin off of Valentino's face, while a unsure feeling settled in his stomach.

Something wasn't right here.

Valentino could summon whoever he wanted, as long as they were under his name, but the real question was.

Did he want to? 

Did he want to do that for the Princess of Hell?

For the Radio Demon at that..

For all he knew this could be a ploy to overthrow him and the others; they knew that their empires were weak right now.

Not to mention-

This reeked of something more in depth, like there was more to this story than the princess was caring to share.

But..

They didn't really have a reason to attack other demons right now; not to mention the princess was never one for violence in the first place, so would she really try and attack? They've all been focused on the angel attacks that turf wars and product wars weren't really happening anymore; and Charlie obviously didn't need anymore land other than her ratty hotel.

And Alastor wouldn't of called, or made Charlie call, to trick Valentino of all demons. The Radio Demon would've shown up to the door and knocked it down in order to kick-start his massacre.

The chances of being played now, they were slim.

...

"Okay, doll. One favor, and that's it. I ain't doin' nothin' else for you."

He could feel Charlie's joy before she expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you!" She gushed, before going quiet with a small breath. Valentino winced at the volume, rolling his eyes at her voice, before lifting his hand to press his fingers together while inwardly thinking of Angel Dust.

A snap resounded.

And nothing happened.

...

" _What!?_ "

* * *

Through the disbelief ridden voice on the other side of the phone, Charlie already knew her answer before Valentino could explain. With a shaky hand she gives the phone back to Vaggie before hugging herself tightly. 

_Of course this would happen. After everything, finding them wouldn't possibly be this simple._

Vaggie, while watching her lover, tried desperately to decipher the confused and angry words Valentino was spouting-- several snaps could be heard along with short yelps of people being summoned all of a sudden, and the girl could only assume he was testing his magic to see if it actually worked (which it did, but it certainly didn't help the fact that Angel failed to show when he was summoned)-- 

"I-.." Vaggie tries, but stops herself when she sees Charlie struggling to keep herself together. She gives the off glance to Husk who shrugged awkwardly, by his side Nifty looked conflicted as to what she should do in order to help the situation smooth back over. "What do we do now?" The small demon asks quietly, "We can't just go knock on Lucifer's door, he'd kill us.."

Vaggie strongly agreed to that, but she had a feeling Charlie would do the deed herself without anyone else's say. "We may just need to wait for a few days, see if they'll turn up themselves.." Husk comments, finally channeling a side to vote, "Kid we don't have many options," He told the blonde as she stood stock-still, "Sometimes it's best to wait, just to see before coming to rash conclusions. Think of what could happen if Lucifer told you that he wasn't the one that did it, that it was someone else. What would happen if he took your words the wrong way and decided to end you, to end Hell? The man is undergoing so serious shit right now, and you stating potential false claims could do damage."

There was a frown that crossed Vaggie's face when Charlie inhaled sharply, held her breath for a few odd seconds, before exhaling in the shakiest way possible. She was trying to keep her head, Vaggie knew that she could--even if it was hard.

But this was a genuine breaking point, and Charlie was walking a very fine line tottering side to side as she went.

The blonde knew what she wanted to do. Knew what she _had_ to do.

But to put the rest of her family in danger? Is that what she wanted? Vaggie, Nifty, Husk--If what she did came back to hurt them instead of her--

She'd never recover.. 

Not from that.

Looking down, Charlie eventually nodded, saying that she agreed with what Husk said while turning back around to look at her remaining family with a weakened stance. "Okay.." She breathed, forcefully swallowing down the lump that formed in her throat when Vaggie neared her form and wrapped her arms around her torso.

"We're going to find them, hun. Might not be today, might not be tomorrow, but we'll find them. Don't worry.."

Charlie returned the embrace, burying her head into Vaggie's neck while trying her best to let herself be reassured by those words. God, she hoped Vaggie was right. _P_ _lease let her be right, please._

The room was quiet for a long time, no one really knew what to say in order to make the others feel better.

But there were two things that stood out amongst the silence that Charlie just couldn't keep her mind off of.

One, Alastor and Angel Dust, she hoped that they'd be safe. _Wherever they happened to be._ She just wanted them safe.

And Two.

The doors to the hotel opening up.

In the frame, standing with a cocked hip lean, with a single bright red eye that just ate up the rooms inhabitants with a sinful glee, a young woman with unruly hair stood with a bright smile.

"'Bout time some friendly faces come inta view. Been way to fuckin' long since I've seen someone who doesn't want to kill me."

The woman stepped closer, and from Charlie sights the infamous tattoos of red cherries and leaves as the light from outside stopped obstructing the view.

"Sup, bitches? Anyone seen Angie? He hasn't answering up my texts."

_Cherri Bomb!_

Charlie's face broke into a smile, before her heart suddenly dropped when the last sentence clicked..

_Cherri Bomb.._

_Angel's best friend.._

_..fuck.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, the temptation to have Valentino say 'New phone, who dis?' was so bad; I legitimately almost put it there xD  
> Is it bad that I both love and hate Valentino's character as well? He's an asshole, but he's a likable asshole, ya know..? xD
> 
> Betcha you weren't expecting Cherri Bomb. I betcha weren't :J hehe okay I'm done.


	23. No Rest For The Wicked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long story short, this chapter was going to be out a lot sooner had I not dropped my laptop on the floor and completely destroyed the frame. Also it was like 10+ years old, so I was a little afraid that it was going to just engulf into flames if I turned it on lmao..
> 
> BUT I've returned with a new laptop, it's very nice I like it :) My life is happier now that I can write again xD
> 
> Sorry for the wait guys, I hope my hiatus hasn't affected this chapter-- I'm a little rusty with writing because of this, though I've gotten progressively better with drawing x,D Also I have such a bad attention span, I swear--
> 
> Ahh.. anyways, I hope you enjoy~

* * *

“An audience with our Father?”

The question sounded amazed, dumbfounded even, as the coated being stood perched on the balcony’s railing. With a cross of their arms, and a rock of antsy heels, the angelic being watched in monotonous patience as their darker counterpart withheld an irritated sneer. There was a charge in the air, unused power leaking off Lucifer's body as he kept his ever so amused expression composed.

" _Yes_ , an audience with God seems right up my alley at this moment in time, do you not agree?" The darker of the two states as plainly as he could tune his voice to be--nearly sounding exhausted as the angel blinked soberly.

A satchel hung to their side, only mussed by the overly large wings that hung loosely against their back, inside were scribes that could only be news of the current state Hell was currently plagued with-- _that or they were the written lies which were throttled during the brunt of Micheal’s battle for the destruction of Hell_. Messages to the battalions of more commanding angels that swore to follow the chained Archangel down into the hellish fray Lucifer happened to call home.

"But an audience with Him now could bring disaster, brother. You taking Michael as a hostage would only paint you in a bad light." 

“I don’t believe I stuttered.” The man clad in the white suit drawled lazily, “Just as I have explained to you, I want to speak to Him on _my_ grounds about the _crimes_ Michael has committed; the laws, God Himself made, were broken when Michael decided to stray from their orders. I am unable to pass through the gates of Heaven-- Or have you forgotten that I happen to rule Hell?”

Striking eyes of pale blue gleam with indifference, “So you suggest that our Father would step foot in this cesspool of sin? For _you_ of all beings? I never took you for the joking type, Lucifer.”

“Michael set you up, little bird.” Snake eyes of flaming gold darken with malice, “Our ‘Father’ needs to know that His lackey just took His almighty orders and turned them into their own little advantage. And I'd very much like an apology for the destruction, and for the Holy torment my sinner's souls have been through. You should know that holiness is quite a deadly illness down here, happens to destroy a lot of souls when left to fester."

The angel’s eyes widened for a split second, genuinely processing the words for a moment before an irritated twitch flashed through their expression, “Your sarcasm is ungodly.”

“Then it is a very good thing that I am ungodly.” 

A sharp tooth grin met the exasperated face of the brown haired angel. “Why not request his presence yourself, Lucifer. He would surely answer to your call, no?”

“Last time we spoke we clashed with very different opinions, and I ended up down here caring for beings I do not like. We’re not on good terms, you see? Which is why I need this favor; else the balance we all know and cherish will suddenly come crumbling down, and so on.”

"Balance has nothing to do with this, you're just a sad and petty creature." The angel accuses, to which Lucifer almost instantly shrugs to, "Perhaps I am a sore loser, but Michael fucked up and I'd like to get some sort of compensation after I managed to figure out that they've gone behind God's back." Lucifer's formal speech pattern falters for a moment as he says this, but it doesn't take the angel in his presence off guard.

"We can at least agree that Michael took things too far, what with not sharing the proper orders with the rest of Heaven's forces," A hand reached up to wrap around the small satchel as the angel’s lips pulled into a bitter scowl, an expression that surprisingly wasn't aimed Lucifer's way, “I will see what I can do, Lucifer. But I will not beg the Lord to send His precious mercy unto your sinners.”

“He is most merciful, Castiel, I am sure He will look into this situation when He realizes that Michael has done wrong.” Lucifer tried his hardest to look appreciative, but his smile stayed vicious looking.

They stared at each other for another long second, before Castiel’s wings snapped open.

With feathers of shining white dancing in the achingly hot air around him, Lucifer could only watch pensively as his only hope for a audience with God disappeared into the dark sky above. Had he thought that having faith would assist, Lucifer would've hoped that his 'Father' would actually listen to demands; however he knew it was a shot in the dark.

Though, one thing was certain; even with all the uncertainty and bad luck that's come to take hold of his life.

_Either Michael was going to face the wrath of God, or they were going to suffer in Hell for the rest of their miserable existence._

One way or another Lucifer was going to win in some way, shape, or form; even if he could benefit more from God taking charge of Michael's punishment, like asking for the territory in the Overworld-- _once the Day of Reckoning was over, of course,_ Lucifer knew where to take his victories now.

Alone to his thoughts Lucifer didn't notice the near to silence croak of the balcony door opening behind him, while a voice so achingly familiar spoke with such accusing rage it hurt. Words, so silky soft and smooth, cut through the air like a knife as his beloved wife announced her very displeased presence.

_"You want to explain to me what I've just witnessed, or do I need to call Charlotte back and tell her that everything she's accused you of is true?"_

* * *

"Well, shit, guys if you were playin' the quiet game why didn't you just tell me?" Cherri Bomb's toxic grin only managed to hurt Charlie more as the bomb loving blonde ran a clawed hand through her ragged mane. "Don't tell me those angels actually gave ya'll a run for your money?" She managed to close the doors behind her as she stepped further in, but had to pause when her name was called.

"Cherri!" Vaggie exclaims. The moth demon seemingly happy to see the other, both from it being too long since their last meeting _and_ because recent events had her worried for Cherri Bomb's life. Part of Vaggie worried that the cyclops had gone into the fray bombs blazing in order to fight back Heavens forces--

It was nice to see that even Cherri knew when to pick her fights. _Relieving_ , really.

Vaggie was the first to act, moving forward without Charlie's helpful nudge to guide her, and was quickly standing before the other one eye'd girl with a weak smile of her own; "You're okay! I was worried that you'd been hurt or something, I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep in touch with you--" The gray haired girl was cut off by the strong pull of arms, before she felt herself being embraced.

Cherri's grip was ironclad and locked, desperate for the touch of another, she had certainly missed communication--but it was clear that she was satisfied and relived by what she was being given. If she could just hold her friend for a while, knowing that everyone she's come to care about was alive and well, especially after being alone for _days_ , she'd take the chance and fucking run with it.

"Well, duh!" Cherri rolled her singular eye as it filled with humor, her grip loosening only slightly as she pulled away, "Did you honestly think that a couple of Executioner angels could _actually_ beat me? Those metal assholes didn't stand a chance!"

Vaggie smiled wryly, her heart clenching, "I don't doubt that you gave them a run for their money." She agrees, before her serious nature kicked into full gear, "But we do have a problem, actually."

"Heh, you don't say? The state of you guys is a problem, alright! You look like shit, probably haven't been outside since the start of this mess-- no wonder you look so fuckin' miserable!" The tattooed woman chuckles to herself as she bypasses Vaggie to then move towards Charlie. Arms opened wide Cherri closes in and embraces the Princess tightly, the visible notion of tension leaking out through her actions as she held the other for a long moment.

"Fuckin' missed your faces. Thought I said to not be strangers?"

"We couldn't exactly leave." Husk chimed in, amber eyes narrowing when the woman turned to look at him. "Why not? I left my house and didn't have a problem." Her large eye squinted when the tom huffed at her. Though she meant nothing but lightheartedness, Husk had always been grumpy around the louder patrons of the hotel--Cherri especially.

"I mean, why are you guys hunkered down when you have the 'Big A' with you?" She continued, mentioning Alastor as she turned back to Charlie, whilst leaning in close as if to spread some sort of unheard rumor " _I heard_ that his Executioner head count was _huge!"_ She laughed lightly, finding humor somehow in what she said, "Or has he finally bitten off more than he can chew?"

At the mention of Alastor, the room's welcoming warmth suddenly froze; freezing those knowing of the current situation to the bone.

"Alastor..isn't here." Charlie informs slowly, feeling more confident when Vaggie looked her way, "We're not sure _where_ he _is_ , actually.."

" _Oh_." Cherri voiced, if not sounding a little irritated. "Well that sucks, _I guess."_ It was clear her thoughts of Alastor hadn't changed over the passing year.

To the bomb loving demon, all Overlords were the same. Even if she has grown accustomed to Alastor's antics she sill stays guarded to the bigger dogs in the underworld. Hotel policies be damned; she'd keep her hackles raised when he was around, she didn't care if it offended him or not!

However, Cherri was aware that Alastor meant a great deal to the ones she calls her friends; and if his absence makes them upset then there's clear reason to further this conversation. " _I mean_ , why?" She corrects herself while attempting to play a feigned concerned expression, "Did he leave you guys to defend by yourselves? Or did something else happen to make him bolt?"

"What? No-no! He didn't abandon us, he would never do that!" Charlie reassures frantically; slightly appalled by how easily Cherri admitted to the conclusion, but not at all surprised by it, "We haven't heard from him since yesterday." She clarifies, scratching her arm as hesitation controlled her actions. "Something happened.."

_That's fucking confusing_ , "Well speak up, girl." Cherri presses through her own loss, "Did he ditch you guys or not?" The one eye'd blonde kept herself as calm and laid-back as possible; sure it was irritating to hear that Alastor proved himself to be an asshole-- _as she previously called, having even warned Angel at some point to not get close. But noo- no one listens to Cherri Bomb--Satan forbid she's right for a change!_

 _Valentino was a tyrant in of himself, and liked to use his power to get what he wanted; but Alastor was an enigma, Alastor killed because he was bored. Valentino was predictable, Alastor wasn't.--_ To say the least, Cherri wasn't going to be surprised if what she'd thought along became true. 

"He's gone.. _missing_. Per-say." Charlie admits softly, dark eyes shifting away when the other blonde settled her hands on her hips impatiently. " _Missing."_ Cherri echoed slowly, "The fuck does _missing_ mean for a guy like him? He just go dark without telling you, or what?"

Husk scoffed, clearly he was getting impatient with the girls beating around the bush, "The fuck do you mean? 'What does it mean?'. He's gone, _not here_. We can't find him and we don't know where he is. He's disappeared off of the face of this fuckin' world, and somehow broke all his ties to the underworld!" By now the tom was bristling; stressed far past his own accord whilst having to deal with the Queen of panic has, at last, pushed him to the edge of his normal patience. 

And now with Cherri Bomb at the helm of it all it seems even he can't keep his head this time.

But at least now it seemed like she was a little more invested in what was being said.

"What do you mean? Can someone actually disappear like that..? Is-..Can angels' make people disappear without a trace?"

Charlie shook her head when Cherri's mind seemed to form questions that-- _lets face it_ \--no one wanted to hear right now, her own heart in her throat as she waved slightly, "I- I don't think that angels can make people vanish like that, I'm almost positive that it wasn't them--at least not normal angels." She assures, but then quickly admits, "We did have an Archangel in the hotel that attacked Alastor personally, but I don't think that they had anything to do with this.."

" _An Archangel..?"_ Amazement swarmed Cherri's eyes, "Those guys actually exist? And you saw one face to _face, and you survived?!"_

"They threatened to kill us all, actually." Vaggie supplies slowly, "In a really cheerful way too, they were an asshole in my opinion. Especially when they made Alastor lose his shit so quickly.." Cherri stopped her there with a halting hand, "What did they like snap his sanity or something?"

"Something like that, m'not sure really.. He just went from protecting us to just... _feral._."

Cherri's mouth pulled into a suspicious line, "Could _that_ be why he's disappeared so suddenly?"

"What?" Charlie gawked, "No! Alastor was _fine_ after he recovered from the attack, he seemed perfectly normal! There's no way he just took Angel and _disappeared_ \--I refuse to believe that he did that because he went fucking feral." The blonde huffed, dark eyes near slits as her mind reels back to the situation beforehand--how Alastor and Angel could've actually disappeared, how they could be dead! A unyielding fury coursed through her person as her temper flared, but she knew she had to take control of herself before she does something wrong--

Only.

She _had_ done something wrong.

And by the look on Vaggie's face, the wince that jarred the moth demon's posture, and judging by the bewildered stare that she was pinned with by Cherri Bomb, Charlie was suddenly coming to the realization that she might've made quite the slip up.

There was a charge in the air, a pinch of red that flashed more vibrantly from Cherri's singular optic, while a dangerously calm tone struck from the cords of the once cheerful cyclops; "What the fuck do you mean by 'He took Angel and disappeared?'.."

Inwardly shrinking in on herself, Charlie manages the small phrase before Cherri ultimately exploded,

_"I mean.. they're both gone, and we don't know where they are and.."_

"..And?"

"We.." Charlie looks to Vaggie, unsure in she should say, but Cherri shoots forward and seizes the girl by her shoulders, " _And, what? Charlie?"_

"..And we think my dad has something to do with them disappearing.."

The room goes silent, painstakingly so, and Cherri stares intently at the other blonde she holds onto so tightly. The tension is suffocating, sharpened talons digging into the undershirt of Charlie's most beloved outfit, before Cherri's face hardens with an intense determination Charlie hasn't seen since the bomb loving demon threatened to take down an entire block of Valentino's territory.

_Which she did go through with, by the way._

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." Cherri decides, releasing Charlie while heading straight back towards the doors of the hotel.

...

Those left in the lobby could only watch in amazement as the fiery blonde opened and slammed the doors shut, and when she heard them crash together, Charlie found that she could finally take a much needed breath. 

But as soon as she inhaled, Vaggie was on her within seconds with her phone laying in her open palm.

"Call your mom, right now. Now that Cherri knows, we're not going to be able to reason with her--the best we can do is warn them of the shit that's about to happen." " _Vaggie_! If we tell them it'll--" "We can't wait for them to turn up now, hun. If Cherri goes in to confront Lucifer, she's gonna get herself killed; I'd rather her not go into this alone so go ahead and warn your mom of what's going on--tell her that we think Lucifer's done something to Al and Angel."

Distraught Charlie thumbed her mother's number into Vaggie's phone, her stomach twisting with anxiety while she, Vaggie, Husk, and Nifty starts towards the door. The phone rings three times before Lilith's voice breaks through the speaker--the familiar, cautious, tone questioning to whom she was speaking too.

Charlie tried to sound strong, but at this point she could barely feel anything other than the aftermath of living through such stress, 

"Mom? Hey, it's Charlie."

" _Charlotte? You're okay!"_

"Yeah..I'm okay..Look--we..there's some." Charlie inhaled to keep her voice steady.

_"There are some things we need to talk about."_

* * *

Even the boom of screaming trumpets could not stop the sudden pulse of dread that sunk deeply into Angel's chest. Striking flashes of color danced wildly through the pitch black of night, while the wailing laughter of drunkards and party goers entertain the usual silence of midnight. Shrill catcalls, and uproars of conversations trying to drown each other out--only to become incomprehensible to any and everyone around them--; all of which occurred on this one faithful night.

_Mardi Gras was a wild thing to witness._

Such a thing of vivid colors flashing while the people of New Orleans dance their hearts out 'till the next morning's sun, it was almost too real to believe.

The musical numbers, that he's come to know Alastor by, drive a near stake into his head; who knew that they were this catchy in person?! If Angel were being honest, and had it not been for this terrible feeling of dread, he might've actually started nodding along to the tune; however something about those banging drums and screaming trumpets made him feel oddly empty--even with the Radio Demon's presence by his side.

The deeper thrum of radio static filled the rooftop suddenly, so subtle that it probably couldn't be heard from the streets below but loud enough for Angel to hear it over the music. Past experiences made him assume the noise as cautionary but, after spending months alone with the man to his right, Angel has come to know the subtly as acknowledgement; something that was masterfully disguised with the same, jarring, white noise demons would hear before their second death came to greet them.

"You seem distracted." Alastor notes, his voice nearing a delighted pitch as his ears stayed locked onto the ruckus, "Such a disappointing sight to see; after all, you were the one who wanted to see a Mardi Gras festival in the flesh."

"Huh?" Angel hummed, head lifting slightly as Alastor turned to lean back against the rim of the roof, "Whatcha mean, Smiles? This is fuckin' great!" One of his lower hand shrugs, gesturing halfheartedly to the people down below. A noticeably fake action, if Angel actually admitted; he's been getting worse with being untruthful around Alastor. It was just hard to lie around the man nowadays! Half the time Alastor could see straight through his acts, and the other half would be Alastor being rhetorical or sarcastic.

There was a flash of yellow behind the nostalgic smile Alastor wore, a roll of his red optics, while his breath scoffed at the action Angel presented him with."Your sense of deception has clearly taken a plunge my dear, you've gotten terrible at acting."

Angel smirked lightly at that, a portion of his composure returning with the playful comment. "Or maybe ya've gotten betta at readin' me; can't really tell nowadays now can ya?" "True either way, it seems." Alastor admits, "But, that doesn't explain your sudden loss in interest. When I mentioned the festival you were practically begging to witness it, but it seems now that we're here you've--"

"Yeah, I know." Angel cuts him off before he could stumble for the right words, "Don't get me wrong, Smiles, this is fuckin' great; neva seen anything like it, really! I just..I dunno something hit me is all." Mismatched iris' flicker as the feeling dissipates into unwarranted annoyance. He shouldn't be getting irritated by this; he and Alastor both have been through so much already the past handful of months, it felt wrong to snap at the other demon now.

Throughout their time in the overworld, having seen the days fly by so quickly, Angel has grown incredibly comfortable around Alastor--now more than ever before. They got along surprisingly well, and when it came to teamwork they tended to bounce off each other with scary ease. The man was an incredible teacher when it came to magicks, and had a very surprising sense of patience-- especially when Angel manged to vanish the entire house without knowledge of how to fix it back-- 

Despite his personality's natural drawl to repel against the other's, Angel has noted that Alastor has been very considerate with what he's said and how he says it as well. It's become known that he's gotten onto the man's good-side; enough to be something that Alastor would protect, _viciously so if need be._

Whether or not it's a good trait, Angel couldn't say. All he could admit to was that he and Alastor were closer than ever before.

Of course, Alastor still had his moments where he completely loses Angel's focus-- 

"I don't recall seeing anything thrown--"

Alastor stops himself, and Angel struggles not to snort at the timing of the comment, " _Ah!_ \--this is metaphorical, my apologies." 

"A feeling." Angel supplies through his laugh, offering the noise as comfort instead of mockery, "It's just a bad feeling that made my stomach flip--it could just be me, _so_ _don't even think about worrying_."

His arm came up before Alastor could send his shadow-y minions to scout the area, fur coated hand clasping around the other man's wrist gently and halting the order before it was given. Alastor's ears twitched towards the spider, his static noise lowering to it's most gentle of pitches, whilst his attention diverts with graceful ease from the music down in the streets, "My dear, nowadays it's hard to not to worry. What with how we're living, anything could go wrong--if it's a bad feeling with your powers we may need to postpone--"

"Al, we can't postpone this. It's perfect timing an' everything, we're neva gonna have another chance like this." Angel disregards the look Alastor shoots his way, as he releases the other's hand, "It's not my powers actin' up, I promise! I think I may just..I dunno maybe I'm nervous or somethin'.."

"You?" Alastor blinks, a shade of blue donning his form as the lights from below click to the sapphire shade, "Nervous? Who are you and where have you put Angel Dust?" He jokes, while playing with a thread of shadow-like mist that had drawn too close. Angel tried not to watch the interaction for too long, appreciating the new flash of pink lighting as it clicked away from blue--he was getting a little flustered, and his fur loved to give his embarrassment away.

"Ha-Ha, yeah, you're fuckin' hilarious." The spider demon dismisses, looking back over the crowd and doing his best to ignore the cheeky grin that was aimed his way.

"Thank you, dear. I appreciate the compliment!" Alastor then turns to face forward again, still leaned against the roof's rim, while a content look smooths his face down to a small smile.

"Look, lets just get back inta focus, 'kay?" Angel tries to encourage, leaning forward a little, "I don't see any drifters but I'm sure I can at least lock this block down." Alastor hums, a few strands of shadow-like tendrils seeping into the surrounding darkness, his curiosity forcing him to check properly, "Whaddya say, Smiles? Ready to get this show on a roll?"

Tempting red ears twitch at the challenge that was hinted inside of the sentence, initiating the squint of amused red optics, as Alastor turned to look over the outstretch of road where literal hundreds of bodies moved with the beat of the music, _"On your mark, my dear."_ A clawed hand gestured outwards, visible static twitching from the tips while Alastor's grin grew twice it's previous size.

Behind them the shadows rose gradually into a monstrous wave of darkness.

_"Impress me."_

Magic swirled around Angel's hands, it's pink color bathing his white fur in it's hue, while it's animated movement wraps contently around it's summoner's limbs, waiting patiently for it's order to strike ahead into the crowd below. Angel forced his mind to focus on his clearest goal, his claws twitching when the magic wrapped around his arm tightened eagerly at his innermost decisions, before he urged the small trail of color forward and off into the air.

It was slow moving, twitching like mad, but terrifyingly calculated as it followed it's master's order to then disappear over the middle of the most crowded part of the street. 

A moment passed.

And suddenly the booming noises of Mardi Gras was no more.

Angel leaned his head into one of his free hands, nonchalant as the street below suddenly became devoid of all life, the later limb was still outstretched to the last area his magic had been in, keeping hold of the illusion as it hid away the nightmarish sight that was to be censored from any prying eyes. Everything on the street had become barren, no cars, no lights, not even hints of previous life were there to ease the eeriness.

For all the street cameras knew, Mardi Gras had just vanished into thin air!

Alastor's grin was fiendish by the time Angel looked back his way, his expression looking far more dark now that the lights below were no longer flashing in all directions, his eyes brightened in their dreadful glow before the hand caked in static dropped in a motion that ordered a full on charge.

There was a rumble, somewhere undetected, before the formed wave of darkness behind them shot forward--plunging into the illusion and disappearing without a trace.

The spine chilling quiet did not deter Angel from his task, but the bloodcurdling screams his magic provided him with was most distracting--even so he held strong despite the ungodly sound of crunching bones and squelches of discarded meat. Where he became squeamish, Alastor merely reveled in the most inhumane way; the red demon was evil incarnate, that much was true, no matter how sweet on Angel he could be there would always be the darker moments that his personality would shine brightest in.

But at this point? Angel couldn't care less.

Alastor inhaled, a pleased and content sigh loosing through his nose as he leaned back to further address Angel. Red optics--eyes so kind and inviting, yet so dangerous-- flicker towards the spider and gleam victoriously.

"It seems to me, my dear, that we've finished catching all of the normal souls we need. Now we wait until the Day of Reckoning, catch a few angels off guard, and we'll be _that_ much closer to getting back to Hell."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huurrkk, I really hope the interactions don't sound as stiff to you guys as they did to me--I've read over this so many times that maybe my brain has finally gotten tired of it, but I really hope that it makes enough sense!
> 
> ALSO
> 
> Yes, I imagined Castiel from Supernatural as HH Castiel, don't nag at me :P I won't kill him off ..probably (If I do he'll be revived like all the times he was revived in Supernatural lmao)
> 
> Don't ask why Mardi Gras was suddenly implemented into this, I have no idea why I did it, but hey! It worked lmao! I have been witness(very briefly) to one Mardi Gras in my life, but was too young to actually understand it completely so if I said anything irrelevant to Mardi Gras there I do apologize (But I have no interest in learning more, I am sorryyy xD)


	24. Scorched and Uninhabited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the previous chapter Author-Lady makes two demonic characters commit mass homicide in a Mardi Gras festival! Before abandoning this story for nearly six months! She returns with little knowledge, but hopes her promise to uphold this story till the very end is still heard in the ears of her dear readers..
> 
> I'm a terrible, inconsistent, human being.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter, smile :)

"I haven't a clue as to what you're speaking of."

Lucifer felt himself recoil inwardly as he loosed the lie, it was a losing battle at this point and he knew it. Caught red handed with an affirmed enemy of Hell, _an angel._ Of all things to get caught with it just had to be that. Hell's wrath had nothing against the wrath of Lilith Magne, even Lucifer knew better than to anger a creature such as his own wife; her illusions were powerful, and her capabilities to alter other's emotions were frighteningly strong. 

And she's used that power against him before. Maybe incapable of hitting him head on, but her coy nature allowed her to pinpoint little threads of uncertainty, out of stance emotions that spike in certain scenes. Lilith has been able to make Lucifer panic before, to step out of line and lose his cool; sensing his nerves could only fuel her further. So to counter this, he would have to force himself to stay calm.

"What a terrible liar you've become." Lilith's voice was venom packed, so harsh that it _almost_ started to hurt hearing her, _so much for deescalating the situation.._

"First you claim that we have a hold against our enemies, _a way out_ , a path that could save the rest of our survivors, and now you're speaking with the very beings sworn to kill us?" The demoness' hair was practically moving by itself as she spoke, like snakes writhing to her pulsing anger, "Have you no dignity left? Our people could've left by now, we could of--"

"I will not die to false play." 

Lucifer's tone was gravelly, making a mockery of any other, as balcony shook with his regal baritone words, "Michael will not win because he wants to, I will not allow it."

"Michael?" Lilith echoes, unphased at the display of dominance, you've seen it once you've seen it a hundred times over; "The Archangel playing the good little soldier? You're joking right, _how are you still so petty--_ "

"It is not about how they practically overthrew me, nor is it about how they embarrassed me in front of the remains of my kingdom--even after Alastor, of all men, had to step in to provide assistance--" Snake eyes, yellow in color, with paper thin pupils, turn to settle themselves on the horned mistress; a unyielding amount of affection swirled deeply within them, but the displeasure of being caught red handed made the emotion nearly invisible, "Michael started this, not God. It's their fault we're in such a state, not God's. I reported their actions to the masses of angels that still reside in Hell; their second in command, Castiel, has taken it upon themselves to inform God."

Lilith shook her head, clearly not understanding, "Speak clearly, what did Michael do?" Her voice was softer, edging understanding, but there were still undertones of her fury that leaked through the collected tone. Her patience, along with Lucifer's own, was at a tense standstill and was practically testing the cliffside of shattering.

Lucifer turned to face her fully, lifting his eyes to fully bare them on his wife's serious stare, her molten white iris stared right back in a barely collected fashion, "Michael rebelled against God's original plans for Hell. They didn't intend to attack, they wanted to cut us off. They wanted to sever our connections with the living."

Realization swarmed Lilith's pale eyes, before horror colored their bodies in cherry red streaks.

All was silent, tension from the previous conflict still evident--

\--before the house below the two rulers exploded with fizzling smoke pouring from the inside out.

* * *

_///BREAKING NEWS!\\\\\_

_*AS OF LAST NIGHT, HUNDREDS OF LOUISIANA'S CITIZENS HAVE GONE MISSING; THE STATE'S POLICE HAVE BEEN ISSUED NEARLY A THOUSAND MISSING PERSON REPORTS WITH MORE COMING FORWARD EVERY MINUTE! IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 911!*_

Alastor listened to the radio host as they spoke of the massacre, _the hidden and secret massacre,_ that happened last night; by yours truly might he add. The news was practically bliss when he heard of the authorities current 'Head-Scratching' position, it was pure entertainment to see them at such a loss for explanation. There was no way it could be tracked back to Angel and himself, no way in Hell that such a thing could be even remotely possible.

In the eyes of the living, things such as demons were nonexistent! Non-believers would never stoop so low as to believe the fanatics of a crazed believer, it was too outlandish-- _magic doesn't exist!_

But there was still that underlining caution that Alastor seemed to have ingrained into his senses. A subtle mental notion on whether or not he's gotten away with something or not, as during his living days he always had to be a step ahead of the authorities--after all, he was a mass murderer in his life before the underworld; _he still is..but it's less cruel the second time around._ So when a bad feeling teased the back of his mind, Alastor did not ignore it in the slightest.

He had _every_ radio station talking about the attack broadcasting in his ears, his shadow minions watching each channel that were covering it, and even had eyes in nearby police stations.

_Just in case._

To his left, in a jar he had to hold in both arms for a precaution, the souls of the thousands of unfortunate party-goers sat in a stagnate fashion. Their colors ranged into a symphony of rainbow-esque hues, varying in brightness, while a warmth pulsed from the jar's glass casing. They were so mystical looking, beautiful even; but Alastor knew that if he were to let his guard down that those small orbs of light would attach themselves to him, and attack with blinding heat.

No soul wants to go to Hell, and that is proven near certain when someone sees a demon, them seeing Alastor makes it pretty clear that all beings from Hell were despised.

It was a little funny: Such beautiful little things with such an intense urge to attack that which is dark and vile. It didn't make them wrong--but Alastor would be lying if their actions didn't make him feel like an outcast. He was the embodiment of all villainous things, he had tendencies to murder-- still does, in order to feed himself-- he's nothing but the definition of all evil; these souls are innocent people, well _most_ of them are, they were happily living their lives before Alastor charged in with clawed shadows.

They're dead because of him.

He can smell their resentment pluming from the jar.

He doesn't mind it, but it does make him wonder how hard they will make the next transition. How badly will they rebel against him? How much pain will they try to inflict while he intertwines them with his own essence, and the angels' essence? Would they give him enough power to brace back against the angels' intensity? Would they give that to Angel? He has no clue if they're enough. He's thought about finding more, but the thought of going out again--so soon after such a large massacre-- it's unsettling. He can't risk bringing trouble back if he does that, so he chooses to stay put.

It still brings him no reassurance, though. 

Would they truly be enough?

Would they truly be enough to help both himself, _and Angel_ , to fight against Heaven's forces? Would Angel be strong enough-- _Would he, Alastor, be strong enough?_ Would his research be enough to keep them both safe, even if they manage to slaughter enough angels to go back home? Will Eldritch and Angelic mix the way he claimed it would, and will it mix safely? Alastor cares not for the amount of power it will gift him anymore, he just wants it to be safe enough for recovery to be an option; would Angel survive the transition? _Would he?_ Would they be enough to break through the shield that holds Hell hostage?

Alastor doesn't register that he's splintered his desk until shards of wood prick into his scarred palms; having gripped the wooden edge to hard, it must've finally made his workplace tired of him. With his expression dropping into something barely akin to defeat, Alastor realizes that no matter how hard he tries; there was no possible way of making their plan one-hundred percent full-proof, there _would_ be mistakes. He didn't know where those mistakes would be, but they'd be there eventually.

He didn't know the outcome of merging Eldritch and Angelic. It could be catastrophic, or it could be completely harmless and viable. He didn't know if they would survive the transition, _he didn't even know if it would get them home._ He just hoped that it did.

If not for his sake, then for Angel's. Because Alastor knows that he's been having a hard time keeping his chin up, even with the thought of good news on the horizon.

It's like Angel could sense the dread and uncertainty that took claim in Alastor's person. Then again, with powers that feed off of emotion, it probably wasn't hard for Angel to tell.

Leaning back, Alastor glances down at his palms that were stained with pinpricks of dark blood and shards of splintered wood, his mind burned with subtle guilt. There was a far off option that, in the beginning, Alastor had considered; it had been since tossed to the side and mentally burned, but it had been there, and the damage it brought with it had already been branded into the train of thought Alastor's mind took when trailing through his plans.

But he'd never go through with this idea, he'd rather die a second time than do that now. Alastor doesn't know why he wouldn't, because the old him would without a second thought, but he does know that Angel Dust plays a big part as to why his mind had been made up in such a way. 

Call it attachment, if not to be blunt, but there is something there that makes Angel important to Alastor in a way of which abandonment could never come into play.

Alastor's mind, his very broken soul, has deemed the arachnid important. And Alastor wants to know _why_ he's done it. Even now he has no idea as to why he's even thinking of this!

He can't abandon Angel for his own self gain, he just can't. Not anymore. He can't leave Angel behind, his conscience would be too clouded and to affected. His heart; his unbeating, dead, heart would hurt _so much--_ it already does, even thinking about this blasphemous idea! It makes his head reel, and his empty pit of a stomach churn with something besides hunger for once.

It's so frustrating; he would've never had these thoughts had he been by himself!

There's a presence on his shoulder, a grounding coolness that passes over his spine, and it drills into the nape of his neck; the feeling is familiar, and it's comforting, and the blank optics that stare into the side of his face are nothing but enlightening. There's a shadowed mist that flows over his desk, coiling around his limbs and embracing him with deadly chills, the pale glow of icy blue clash dangerously with his own red glow. 

His old shadow, the poor thing, he could see so much of it in the new generation that sat languidly on his shoulders. Though, the younger fiend seemed more clingy than the first, perhaps it's far off conscience missed him too.

There's a worry in it's unseen features, a deep unsure feeling that it forces into Alastor, as it's claws dig into his biceps. This brings the red demon out of his previous stupor, _thank everything unholy for that_ , and he's glad to have a new distraction. He follows his double without hesitation, standing from his chair he moves to the door with the black fiend crawling next to his cloven feet.

It opens the door with a wave of it's misty hand, before looking out into the living area with a wary stare.

Alastor tilts his head at the creature, curious at it's actions, before following it's stare and blinking at the sight he sees.

The living room is in a state of disarray, not intentionally, or forcefully, but it felt different from when Alastor had last seen it. Things had been rearranged, plates left astray, blankets lay in unfolded puddles on the floor. Now on a normal day, Alastor wouldn't of said a word as he cleaned the mess; but today was different.

Today, a spider sat curled in the midst of the chaos; pressed in between the coffee table and the couch, Angel let his chin rest heavily on his bent knees while everything else on him slumped tiredly, there was a lost and broken look that threatened the normal spark in his eyes. And it was there that Alastor had chosen that he'd seen enough to worry, there was a curl in his chest--something that hurt-- _something that even made his own static unable to calm him._ With a spike of crackling noise, enough to entice an acknowledging blink from the arachnid, Alastor moved forward silently.

Angel didn't give him anything outside the blink, moreso flinch, from the noise he made; no words were spoken towards the stag, and he made no effort to even look Alastor's way. It becomes insufferable eventually, the silence does, and Alastor tries to force conversation as he stills next to Angel's small form.

"Someone is awfully quiet." Alastor croons, observing the reaction that isn't there; his ears twitch when Angel doesn't respond, and Alastor finds himself missing the other's voice contrasting his own. "You know, you used to think so loud." The stag continues; trying to pry _something, anything,_ out of Angel. "So loud, that I could almost assume the things you were going to say before you even uttered them." Red settled on a pale, dotted, cheek, "You're so quiet now.."

The spider had a twitch in his eyes, _finally something_ , it looked conflicting and it shrouded his usual confident flare; his posture was all wrong as well-- deflated and unsure as if the conflict in his mind was somehow twisting its way to the outside. Alastor very well could of frowned at that, but his smile stayed small and tampered by sheer will alone. 

Ever quiet, Angel sat still as Alastor moved around the couch to sit to his right. A strained noise gripping through his static filters as he tucked his long legs between himself and the coffee table. 

It was a tight, uncomfortable, sit. But Angel was taller-- and if he could endure this, Alastor could too. Even if the entire scene made him feel as if he were in one of those 'Chick-Flick' movies Angel enjoyed watching. _Were they having a moment, like the ones in those movies?_

They sit in silence, the only noise that surrounded them being that of Alastor's static swaying placidly through the air, _just watching the wall on the opposite side of the room._ It feels like forever before Angel finally found it in himself to say something.

"I miss the hotel." 

Alastor blinks at his tone, something so weak and small sounding coming out of Angel's mouth? -- _N_ _ever_ \--

"I miss Husk, and Nifty, and-- _fuck,_ Vaggie too.." A shaky breath expels from the spider's mouth as he hugs his legs closer, " _I miss Charlie, Al_. I miss her so fuckin' much it's startin' to hurt." Alastor listens quietly as his paler counterpart speaks his mind, being far louder about his uncertainties than Alastor himself. "I'm worried about 'em too. We should've never went after that angel, I shoulda never pulled ya inta this-- maybe if I hadn't then we might still be in Hell-- but, _fuck,_ I just had to go a ruin our chances!--"

"--and before you say anything, we both know that it's true. I fucked up when we went after the angel, I made a mistake--." Angel very nearly snarled when he caught Alastor's mouth open in objection. Magenta eyes flare with a challenge, and Alastor's words of protest come out weaker than he first intended them too; they're so close, Angel's body radiates heat, his own rage must've fueled this fire.

"But it was still just a mistake, dear. Everyone makes those. The angel back at the hotel amplified negative emotions, it's not your fault that you acted like so."

Despite the kind words, Angel still found himself taking the brunt of the blame.

Mismatched eyes turn surprisingly bitter as the thought goes on, "I just don't wanna disappoint the others if I manage to screw this shit up. I wanna go home, I wanna go back so fuckin' much, Al. But I can't bear the thought of making things worse for _them--for_ _us_ \-- if I somehow slip up." Angel's arms hug his knees closer, and Alastor finds himself hating the frown on the other's face.

The reason behind this moment had clicked in Alastor's brain, but the unusual timing of this conversation was nothing but ironic. He'd been thinking about this not even ten minutes ago, in the solitude of his own work room, after all. " You're not sure about going through with this, are you?" The conflict was easily distinguished into uncertainty; and Alastor understood it easily.

Angel looked weak in the moment, "If I do the wrong thing, if I slip up, we both go down and we never see the others again." He reveals; and it's nothing but the truth, as far as Alastor knows.

But Angel is forgetting a key thing here.

"The same thing happens if I misstep too, my dear." Alastor admits, head turning in order to catch the full scene of Angel's face contorting into that of pure confusion.

Alastor prides himself on catching the other off guard, and he can't help but smile when magenta eyes turn his way.

 _Didn't expect that, now did you?_ Is what Alastor wished to say, but couldn't as Angel sputtered an incoherent response. "W-wha..? Al? What? Why would you say that?"

"Why would you say it before me?" Alastor tells him, "We both knew the risks of this; and if it's possible for one of us to mess it up, then the other can mess it up just as poorly. Don't assume yourself to be the worst at things, Angel, if something happens to us then it's reasonable to assume that I have the exact chance of messing up as you." Red ears twitch at the exhale that his companion releases, "I am unsure if this plan will work, if I'm being one-hundred percent transparent with you, I'm not." Alastor reveals softly, "However, I am willing to risk it all in order to bring us back home."

"--The question is though, Angel," Red swirls as it locks with magenta, "are you ready to risk this as well?"

Conflict is the next thing Alastor sees when looking at Angel's face. Such a furious thing to witness as the taller quickly breaks their gazes apart, in order to cover his eyes with the heels of his palms--it brings Alastor back to the splinters that are still embedded in his own, not that he cares much for them anyhow-- "What happens to us if we fail, Al? Do we just..stop existing?" Angel's voice is still very weak, and Alastor still hates hearing it like so.

"No," He answers, "Worst case scenario, we stay here and can't return to Hell. We make our life here."

Alastor doesn't know if that's reassuring or not, and Angel never gives him the notion of either as his gaze returns to the opposite wall. This was just another battle to be won, Alastor knows this because Angel isn't one to lose so easily, it was a new feat to hurdle.

Angel's mind had a tendency to produce the worse outcomes first, and the better ones were usually told to him by word of mouth, it was a terrible habit--but Alastor knows it as just a quirk that makes the other that much stronger. It made him overcome more, assured his confidence, and though it made him out to be mentally weak--Angel truly made it look extremely small when he managed to win against it. 

Angel Dust was the finished body of a determined, stubborn minded, brash, intelligent, calculating, observing, and _intentionally_ stupid, corpse for Hell to use. Alastor would always be impressed with how easily Angel hides his natural ability to read situations, opting to play dumb in order to get attention-- or maybe it was part of the gimmick too?-- only for his true nature to burst out of it's hiding spot and snag easy unsuspecting prey.

It was admirable-- in Angel's own way--

_..--Of course, Alastor would love to say those things out loud; but the heavier sympathetic part of him died a long time ago._

But he tries. Or, he _wants_ to try.

And for Angel, he does his darnedest.

"I know you're conflicted, in a sense I share these uncertainties; because in the end I don't have the foresight to see our inevitable outcome. However if this was something that I believe you couldn't do, something that _we_ couldn't do," Alastor tries to find Angel's unwilling stare, "I wouldn't of bothered with trying in the first place."

"--I know that you have the strength within you to do this; you've kept us both going these past months, held sturdy where I've.. staggered."

_That hurt to admit._ But it caught the other's attention enough to where Angel _finally_ looked back at him.

" Trust me when I say that you can do this. Or at least know that I'm willing to lay everything on the line, as long as I know that you're there with me. Trust me when I _tell you_ that _we_ can do this."

Crimson eyes settle on the wide stare of Angel's mismatched own, the lull of static washing over the two men as verbal silence over the room. There was a second when Alastor could've claimed this quiet mood as an awkward one, but after seeing Angel's expression falter into something gentle--watching it falter into a look Alastor hasn't seen in a long while-- Alastor found himself sitting still as Angel's body twitched in a hesitant movement. 

There was something the spider wanted to do in the moment, an action that was surely going to get a negative reaction out of the Radio Demon, but he tries to keep himself reigned back as he slowly managed to gather a weak, very affectionate, appreciative, smile on his face. Alastor doesn't even mind the closeness, as long as he can keep that _stupid_ smile on the other's face, it was worth it; all of this was worth it, and the next words out of the other's mouth seal their long term deal easily.

"In this together, until the end, right Smiles?"

Alastor finds himself at a loss, staring proudly at the other, unable to react as a hand tentatively reaches forward to brush against one of his own scarred and damaged hands. There's a lump that forms in his throat as Angel's soft palm runs over the splinters that seer into Alastor's flesh, a mildly amused dip of the spider's brow is all the reaction he gives Alastor for the small wounds-- _like he expected something like this from Alastor_ \-- Either way it drills a newer feeling into Alastor's gut, and it's worse off than the one before.

Red optics watch the other's face closely, trying to pinpoint that little falter again--but to no avail--, he wanted to appease this feeling, he wanted to figure it out; but of course he couldn't force it. 

Maybe he could entice it though?

He moved slow, dark digits ghosting over a pale cheek to then cup; the action startled the other--and when Angel realized how close they actually were there was no stopping the next thing that would happen.

Running a thumb over the soft fur that covers Angel's face, Alastor spoke. His voice held no background tin, and the static that once danced through the air around the two sitting demons was suddenly no where to be found, his words were soft and when spoken the world around them suddenly became mute.

"Till the end, is an understatement, my dear." 

They connected; and Alastor felt as if he were falling.

Only this time he fell with Angel.

And not even the chilling presence of their impending doom could break them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-I DID THE THING, I UPDATED, I MADE THEM DO THE THING! ARE YOU PROUD OF ME? DID I DO THE GOOD? DOES THIS MAKE UP FOR MY DISAPPEARANCE???  
> I LOVE YOU GUYS, I REALLY DO, I'M REALLY SORRY THAT I'M YELLING! BUT I APPRECIATE THE LOT OF YOU!
> 
> All that aside though, you guys are real troopers sticking by this story as I internally die LMAO; you're amazing, you should feel amazing, and just be reassured that I'm not going anywhere until this story is finished--I gave you guys my word, and I will stick with it!
> 
> I just wanted to say that I am sorry if this one feels short, it's definitely shorter than most of the others, but I felt that I should leave it on a somewhat happy note before shit hits the fan haha! ALSO I'm god awful at everything romantic, I am so sorry if the end scene sucks, I can't help that I can't write lovey dovey stuff LOL
> 
> Either way, tell me what you guys think of the chapter! Love you all lots, lots, and lots!  
> Seeya in the next one <3


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